Gaelic Warrior ran to a high level for a chasing debutant at Punchestown
Timeform ratings reaction following Gaelic Warrior's impressive chasing debut
By Adam Houghton
16:50 · MON November 27, 2023
Adam Houghton reveals how Timeform reacted to six key performances in the novice chasing division last week, including a sparkling debut success from Gaelic Warrior.
Successful on four of his five starts over hurdles last season – including at Grade 1 level at the Punchestown Festival when last seen in April – Gaelic Warrior made a hugely impressive debut over fences back at Punchestown on Saturday, a bit low at a couple but quickly drawing clear when allowed to stride on in the middle part of the race.
He was approximately 30 lengths clear of his closest pursuer at the third last and ultimately won by half that margin having been heavily eased late on, leaving a couple who'd already shown useful form in this sphere trailing in his wake.
It was a tour de force from the exciting five-year-old and the best performance from a chasing debutant we've seen so far this season. In fact, with a Timeform master rating of 154p, Gaelic Warrior is behind only Letsbeclearaboutit (156p) – who achieved his figure when following up his debut success in a Grade 3 at Cork – among the best in the division.
Gaelic Warrior holds top-level entries at a variety of trips over Christmas and he's sure to take some stopping back up in grade, with a return to two miles unlikely to inconvenience him judged on the manner of this victory.
The Grade 2 Florida Pearl Novice Chase at Punchestown on Saturday brought together a stronger field than most British Grade 1 novices will attract this side of the Cheltenham Festival, though it didn't prove quite so informative a race as it might have, with the favourite, Affordale Fury, going as if amiss and Flooring Porter turning in one of his most wayward displays.
That left Favori de Champdou to get off the mark over fences at the second attempt having chased home Affordale Fury when the pair were making their respective chasing debuts at Galway last month. This time he was well on top at the finish having asserted on the approach to the last, drawing right away from there to land the spoils by 14 lengths.
Favori de Champdou jumped soundly throughout and is clearly a very smart prospect. Stamina looks to be his strong suit and this level of form would have been good enough to win a few recent editions of the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham – he now heads the ante-post betting for that race at a general 12/1.
One of the very best staying hurdlers around having won the last three runnings of the corresponding race at the Punchestown Festival, Klassical Dream is a relative latecomer to chasing rising 10, but he could hardly have been more impressive after six months off when making a successful debut at Thurles on Thursday, producing a flawless round of jumping.
Admittedly, it probably wasn't the strongest contest of its type, but Klassical Dream typically impressed with how he went through the race, travelling powerfully at the head of affairs and in control from some way out as he eased to a nine-and-a-half-length success.
Faugheen and Sharjah (152p) – two from two over fences so far this season – are others from Closutton who have taken well to chasing late in life and Klassical Dream will be worth his place in something better next time on this evidence.
Incidentally, Gaelic Warrior (154p), Iroko (150p), Facile Vega (149P), Matata (149p) and Found A Fifty (148p) are the only novices this season rated higher on the back of one chase run, while the large 'P' attached to his rating denotes that he is open to significant improvement.
Last season's National Hunt Chase winner/Grand National third Gaillard du Mesnil and the mare Apple Away, a Grade 1-winning novice hurdler at Aintree, featured in a five-strong field for what looked a red-hot graduation chase at Haydock on Saturday, but it turned into a one-horse race late on as Grey Dawning quickened nine and a half lengths clear for a decisive success.
He jumped boldly on the whole, leaping to the front at the eighth and making the rest, with an injection of pace in the straight leaving the other pair standing.
Grey Dawning impresses Harry Skelton
A Grade 2 winner as a novice hurdler last season, Grey Dawning remains essentially untested in top company (fell in the race won by Apple Away at Aintree) and a step up in grade is sure to be on the cards after this performance, fully confirming the promise of his chasing debut at Exeter a couple of weeks earlier.
Behind Stay Away Fay (143p) and The Changing Man (141p) on that occasion, Grey Dawning is absolutely no forlorn hope to reverse form with that pair should they reoppose in something like the Kauto Star at Kempton on Boxing Day, promising to be one of the premier British-trained novice chasers this season.
The Craddockstown Novice Chase on Sunday's card at Punchestown was by no means a strong Grade 2 by Irish standards and Imagine – sent off the 100/30-on favourite – was unimpressive in landing the odds after things had developed into something of a dash up the straight.
He jumped only adequately and made surprisingly hard work of seeing off the two placed horses, looking all out to hold on by half a length from the rallying Lucid Dreams, who had been beaten in two previous starts in Grade 3 company this autumn.
That limits the view that can be taken of the form, though it's possible that the small-field nature of this race didn't play to the strengths of Imagine and he's worth another chance to confirm the promise of his smooth debut victory over fences at Fairyhouse.
The beginners chase won by Mister Policeman at Fairyhouse on Friday unfolded in very similar fashion to the Craddockstown, essentially a test of speed from the home turn having not been run at an end-to-end gallop.
A smart hurdler last season when winning a minor event at Cork in April on his debut for Willie Mullins, Mister Policeman was expected to confirm himself a top-class prospect on this chasing debut, but it ended up being far from plain sailing as he was given a fright by his connections' second string, only getting on top close home to beat Feu du Bresil by three quarters of a length.
It certainly wasn't as straightforward as one might have expected given his prohibitive odds, though the way things developed probably worked against Mister Policeman and it will be no surprise if he leaves this form well behind on his way to bigger and better things.
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