Perceval Legallois
Perceval Legallois was well beaten in the end into fourth place behind Heart Wood in the New Year's Day Chase at Tramore on Thursday, but there was lots of encouragement to be gleaned from his run. Setting of just behind the leaders by Sean Flanagan, he got out-paced when they quickened from the top of the back straight but, while it never looked like he was going to trouble the leaders, he stuck to his task well and he kept on to move into fourth place ahead of Gentleman De Mee and Champ Kiely.
This was a nice step back in the right direction by Gavin Cromwell's horse, after he was pulled up on his seasonal debut in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury. He had a great season last term, he won the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown's Christmas Festival, and he followed up by winning the big listed three-mile handicap hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival off a hurdles mark that was much lower than his chase mark. He fell at Valentine's first time in the Grand National on his final run last season, it was a soft enough fall, he just clipped the top of the fence, but he had been travelling and jumping well up to that point. He has just turned nine, and he will be of interest if he is aimed at the Grand National again.
Tramore, 1st January 2026
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