Grange Walk

Grange Walk was running a big race in the two-mile-one-furlong handicap chase at Leopardstown last Saturday when he came down at the second last fence. Settled at the back of the field early on by Liam Quinlan, 12th of the 12 runners, he travelled well on the outside down the back straight, and he made nice ground towards the leaders as they raced to the end of the back straight. He jumped the third last fence well, which took him to within two lengths of the leaders as they faced up to the second last fence. He just got in tight to that obstacle and came down.

Of course, it is impossible to know how Grange Walk would have fared had he not come down, and the hugely progressive and admirable Final Orders ran out a good winner in the end, but he might have been the winner’s main challenger, he might have got closer to him than he did at Christmas, when he finished 12 and a half lengths behind him in fourth place. He was travelling better than most of his rivals at the time of his departure.

John Ryan’s horse is not obviously unexposed, he has run 17 times now over fences and 11 times over hurdles, but he is obviously in good form now, and he has come down to a mark of 137, 3lb lower than the mark on which he started off this season. He is a better chaser than hurdler and, while he will be of interest if he takes up his entry in a handicap hurdle at Gowran Park on Saturday off his hurdles mark of 110, he will be of greater interest when he races over fences next time. Good and yielding ground suit him well, and he has run well at Punchestown and Fairyhouse in the past, as well as at Leopardstown.
Leopardstown, 4^th February 2023