Merchent Paddy
Put up here before after he won last weekend at Naas, Merchent Paddy deserves another mention after running out a hugely impressive winner of the Paddy Fitzpatrick Chase at Leopardstown on Sunday. It certainly wasn't the greatest Paddy Fitzpatrick ever run, and main market rival Financial Reward probably didn't run his race, but Charles Byrnes's horse won it doing handsprings, clearly appreciating the better ground. He jumped really well throughout, except perhaps at the fifth last when he was just a little deliberate. His current rating of 125 clearly under-estimates his ability, even though it is 13lb higher than the mark off which he won at Naas the previous Sunday. If he doesn't go up too much for this, he could be a Jewson Chase horse. Both Byrnes and rider Davy Russell seemed to think afterwards that he wasn't devoid of speed, and that two and a half miles was his trip rather than three miles for now. Wherever he goes next, he is an exciting prospect.
11th January, 2009
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