Dee Capo

Dee Capo put up a good performance to win the two-mile-two-and-a-half-furlong hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday.  He travelled well from early and he moved up on the outside of Ashdale Bob when that rival took over in front from Effernock Fizz as they raced to the home turn.  It was a good race between the pair of them from there, but it always looked like Dee Capo was travelling at least a little better and, when Danny Gilligan asked him for his effort on the run-in, he picked up well and won nicely, leaving the impression that he was winning with a little bit in hand

It was a good performance by Gordon Elliott’s horse, to get the better of the experienced Ashdale Bob with the pair of them clear.  Ashdale Bob hasn’t won since his novice days, but he has run some good races in defeat since then, he is a talented horse on his day and it looked like he ran his race here in his first-time cheekpieces and dropped in trip.  Dee Capo is still a novice, this was just his third run over hurdles, his first since November, when he ran a staccato-type race in going down by just a neck to his stable companion Whats Up Darling in the Grade 3 For Auction Hurdle at Navan, and he is an interesting prospect now.  He could be an exciting novice chaser for next season, but he will be of interest again over hurdles now this term.  The two-and-a-half-mile Grade 2 novices’ hurdle at Fairyhouse that Ashdale Bob won in 2021 could be a good option for him now.

Leopardstown, 3^rd March 2024