Gigginstown celebrate with 1-2-3 in Christmas Chase at Leopardstown
Gigginstown House Stud’s recent domination of the Grade 1 Christmas Chase continued at Leopardstown today when Road To Respect led home a maroon 1-2-3 in the race that used to be known as the Lexus and one that leading contenders Sizing John and Yorkhill failed to fire in, finishing down the field.
Trained by Noel Meade and ridden by Sean Flanagan, Road To Respect, who returned at 8-1, repelled 66-1 shot Balko Des Flos and last year’s winner Outlander, a 16-1 chance, to give Ryanair supremo Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown operation its fourth straight success in the €150,000 contest.
Road to Respect gets up with a great jump at the final fence to lead home a Gigginstown 1-2-3 in the Leopardstown Christmas Chase pic.twitter.com/G8Db72HToz
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) December 28, 2017
That was the second of two Grade Ones on Day 3 with Apple’s Jade winning the Christmas Hurdle for Gordon Elliot.
However the race was marred by the death of Nichols Canyon who suffered a fatal fall at the half-way stage.
Apple's Jade wins the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown in battling fashion but the race is marred by a fatal injury to Nichols Canyon pic.twitter.com/W5l1BK01WU
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) December 28, 2017
The Willie Mullins seven-year-old won eight Grade Ones, and was also the only horse to beat Faugheen when he won the Morgiana Hurdle two years ago.
Victory for Apple’s Jade was the second of the day for Elliot, while Joseph O’Brien also had a pair of winners.
