Tidal Bay crushes Ireland's brightest Gold Cup hopes in Lexus Chase at Leopardstown
Getting the better of Ireland’s strongest contenders for the Gold Cup, Tidal Bay marvellously landed the Grade 1 Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on Friday, December 28th.
He took full advantage of the situation, and slipped through the narrow gap between the leading runners. By taking a close triumph over some racing giants, the Paul Nicholls-trained has transformed himself from an unpredictable runner into one of boldest
chasers.
Under R. Walsh, the 9-2 chance failed to get off to a great start. He slightly raised his speed to become prominent a few fences before the wire. He went further close approaching the straight, and was at third place a few moments before the wire.
After all the hard work, a strong finish was required. He rose to the occasions, and kept on well under pressure between the horses close home to take a tiny lead in the dying moments. The son of Flemensfirth kept his head in front until the end, bagging
the top prize by a head’s distance.
The trainer was delighted to see him back on the winning ways. After taking the first prize on his seasonal comeback, he lost his direction for a while, and finished second in Newbury’s Grade 3 meeting at the start of this month.
"It's been phenomenal to get him back. He's a high-class horse who is improving even though he's turning 12," said Nicholls, who started training the 11-year-old in last November.
Owner Graham Wylie added: "This is up there with Inglis Drever. He looked beat at the last, but came with a great run and nicked it. It was a great ride because he's quirky, odd horse and a great training performance."
The rider shared: "He picked up well and flew home in the last 100 yards. We all knew Flemenstar's stamina had to be tested and we went a good gallop."
The competition for the first rank was extremely close, as top four runners crossed the wire almost simultaneously. First Lieutenant, who missed the gold medal only by a head’s distance, managed to beat the 5-4 favourite, Flemenstar, by half a length. Sir
Des Champs was unlucky to miss the podium by a short head’s distance.
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