Capodanno

Capodanno did well to stay on as well as he did to finish third behind his seriously impressive stable companion Galopin Des Champs in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown. He made a slight mistake at the third last fence too, and a slightly worse mistake at the second last, he was only sixth on the run around the home turn, but he stayed on really well from there under just a hands and heels ride from Brian Hayes, he just failed to catch Gerri Colombe for second.

Winner of the Grade 1 three-mile novices’ chase at the 2022 Punchestown Festival, JP McManus’ horse didn’t have a run at things last season. He only raced twice, he finished third in the Red Mills Chase and he was pulled up in the Grand National. His debut this season at Thurles wasn’t hugely promising either, but this was much more like it. He proved here that he obviously retains plenty of ability. The Grand National is the obvious target for him again this year, he ran well in the race last year on the back of a far from ideal preparation before tiring from the Anchor Bridge crossing. But he will be of interest wherever he goes now. His best runs before this were all at right-handed tracks, and he goes particularly well at Punchestown, his record there reads 121. It seems like he has been around for ages, but he has just turned eight, there could still be more to come from him.

Leopardstown, 28^th December 2023