Backtonormal

There was a lot to like about the performance that Backtonormal put up in winning the Leopardstown Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival. Settled in mid-division early on, he made good ground from the second last fence, joined the leader Sequestered at the final fence and stayed on well up the run-in to win by over three lengths. He did well to come from back in the field and win as well as he did in a race that was not that strongly run, and he showed a lot of pace, he dipped under 13secs for his third last furlong. He was fastest of all through three of the last four furlongs, and he was over one second faster than his fastest rival through the closing part of the race.

Gavin Cromwell's horse was a progressive novice hurdler last season, his season culminating in victory in the Connollys Red Mills Final at the Punchestown Festival. Two of his three runs over fences this season before last weekend were over two miles and a furlong, and he appreciate the step back up to the intermediate trip for the Leopardstown Chase. The handicapper raised him by 12lb for this win, but he still has the potential to go beyond his new mark of 142. He is only seven and he has raced just four times over fences. By Milan and out of a mare who won a bumper and four point-to-points, he could improve again for stepping up to three miles. He could be a horse for the Ultima at Cheltenham, or the Kim Muir, a race that his trainer won last year with Inothewayurthinkin, and in which he went close in 2023 with Stumptown.

Leopardstown, 2^nd February 2025