Savills Chase report and reaction: Affordale Fury wins at Leopardstown

Trained by Noel Meade and ridden by Sam Ewing, lightly raced Affordale Fury was the young blood in the field and attracted strong market support, going off at 7/1 having been widely available at 28/1 following the final declarations.

Ewing sent him to the front early on and despite Affordale Fury’s increasing propensity to jump out to his right, the seven-year-old kept finding for pressure on the sharp end and battled home to beat staying-on second I Am Maximus, the former Grand National hero who was an unconsidered 50/1 chance in the hands of Derek O’Connor.

Third went to the returning hero Galopin Des Champs, winner of the Savills in 2023 and 2024 but without a prep run this time around having been forced to skip the John Durkan following a minor setback in training.

The well-backed 6/5 market leader gave it a good go under Paul Townend, racing close to the pace throughout and briefly hitting the front. He was still in there pitching out towards the centre of the track after the final fence but he had to settle for a place behind the front two who came closer to the stands’ side in the straight.

Affordale Fury appeared to impede the runner-up quite significantly after another tired jump out to his right at the last, but the winning distances were two and a half lengths, and three-quarters of a length, while the victor's antepost odds for the Cheltenham Gold Cup were slashed from 50/1 to 10/1 by Paddy Power and Sky Bet.

The reigning Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin ran a poor race, finishing a well-beaten last of the nine finishers, with Harry Cobden an early casualty on Champ Kiely who slipped on the bend after clipping heels, and Gordon Elliott’s returning Gerri Colombe pulled-up by Jack Kennedy a long way from the finish.

Meade said on Racing TV: "It's very, very special. I've had a great relationship with his owner, Philip. He rang me up one day after Pinkerton won and asked 'is that horse for sale?'. He's been lucky with him and he had a nice horse the other day so things went well. He's a very special guy too because he brings everybody when he comes racing, he brings all the staff - it's great to see it.

"He (Affordale Fury) always showed plenty. He just hasn't always raced that often. He was second in Cheltenham, when Sam rode him in the Albert Bartlett, then he came back and he won a beginners chase and ran in Punchestown but then got injured and missed the rest of his novice season.

"He came back after that and he was going to win at Fairyhouse in January I think, but he fell at the last. So then I was kind of keeping him for the Irish National but something happened again and he didn't get to the Irish National. They changed the rules and he'd only had three runs over fences so I ran him in Gowran and I suppose in one way he ran too well as he got himself put up 5lb for the run.

"We thought then we'd have a rattle at the race in the north (Champion Chase at Down Royal, second to Envoi Allen). He ran well, he didn't actually jump that way. The last three fences in the chases were taken out in the north, other than that race, and I said if the last three fences were out he might have won because he lost ground.

"Anyway, we were lucky enough to send him down to Thurles and he won a Listed race but he didn't handle Thurles that well, but he did win which was great. So after that it was all systems to come here.

"Before the race Philip asked what do I think and all I could tell him was that whatever he is, he is today, because he's in super form. He worked a million last Tuesday morning over a mile and a quarter and I was thrilled with him. Sam schooled him on Thursday and he jumped three fences and he'd never jumped as well as that."

A return to Leopardstown for the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival in early-February would seem like the next port of call according to the trainer, who is keen to learn from the past when it comes to keeping his top horses on the go.

Meade added: "My initial reaction is 'yes'. Thinking back on a horse I had called Go Native, he was on four or five in a row and won the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, and then I decided not run him in the Irish Champion. He went to Cheltenham and I think the lack of a run beat him at Cheltenham.

"So I think if he's OK, I'll give him an easy couple of weeks and try to come back (to Leopardstown)."

Ewing, who rode Favori De Champdou to victory for Elliott in Saturday's Paddy Power Chase, said: "It's surreal, my heart goes out to Donagh Meyler. It's his ride and unfortunately he's suspended, so it's really been a week of fortunes for me.

"I rode him last week (in work) and he was in great form, it wasn't the initial plan to make the running but I jumped so well and he took me there. He was travelling and jumping fence to fence and when Paul (Townend) came to me, I gave him a slap down the neck and he was right back on it. He was very tough.

"He was going a little bit right but I don't think I was losing many lengths. And he was still in my hands, always taking me down to the next, so it wasn't too concerning."

Regarding the wide trip, particularly in the home stretch, the jockey added: "I do (feel that was a help), it seems to be the way a lot of big chases are won around here.

"You see it working for a lot of good ones so I figured we might join the trend. He probably had fitness on some of the others, that could have gone in his advantage but the way he's done it, he's improving from run to run and I don't see why he couldn't be a Gold Cup horse."

"Affordale Fury is one of many great jumpers Noel has had and it's great to be riding nice horses like him for Noel and the Pollys (owners) are over the moon, I'm lucky enough to be sponsored by them as well. I'm sure they won't miss tonight with the party anyway!

Cromwell said of Inothewayurthinkin: "He seems fine after the race but we're very disappointed, he never travelled at all and he didn't jump either.

"Everything looked an effort for him.

"We'll get him home and get him checked out. He's a Gold Cup winner, we know it's too bad to be true."

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