MINELLA INDO FURTHER enhanced his Cheltenham Gold Cup credentials with a near-faultless display at Navan.
Reeled in late on by Nicky Henderson’s Champ in last season’s RSA Chase at Cheltenham, Henry de Bromhead’s charge made a foot-perfect start to the current campaign in a Grade Three contest at Wexford last month.
Faced with just three rivals in the Grade Two BetVictor Make Your Best Bet Chase, Minella Indo was a prohibitively-priced 2-11 favourite in the hands of Rachael Blackmore, and his supporters will have had few concerns.
Brahma Bull made much of the running under David Mullins and was still travelling strongly as he rounded the home turn and moved to the stands rail.
Blackmore positioned her mount on the far side of the track and he picked up well between the final two fences to grab the lead before pulling seven and a half lengths clear on the run-in.
Minella Indo justifies the long odds-on and goes on the win the Grade 2 @BetVictorRacing Make Your Best Bet Chase with ease for @rachaelblackmor and @HenrydeBromhead 👏 pic.twitter.com/HFJLH7TbTw
— Navan Racecourse (@NavanRacecourse) November 22, 2020
De Bromhead said: “I’m delighted with that. He did everything good, it was a lovely race for him and I’m glad we’ve got it behind us now.
“You couldn’t have asked him to do it any better. He jumped really well and did everything he had to do.
“I would imagine we’ll aim towards the Savills Chase at Christmas, I think that will be our next one.
He’s had two nice races for second-season novices and now we have to go against the big lads and see how we fare there.”
Asked if he had the potential to be even better than stablemate Monalee, who was fourth in the Gold Cup last season in the same colours, De Bromhead said: “It would be great if he is because Monalee is rated 171, so if he is I’ll be very happy!
“He’s probably achieved a little bit more in each division because he won his Albert Bartlett and Monalee was second, I don’t know if it might have been a lesser race.
“He was only just chinned in an RSA and Monalee was well beaten – I don’t know, it’s unfair on Monalee, but we can’t fault what he’s doing at the moment.
“It’s nice to have a possible Gold Cup contender like him, but all along last year we thought Monalee had a great chance and thankfully he ran like he did.
“It’s great and the more of these types you can have the better. We’ll see how it all unfolds between now and then.
“At the moment we’re thinking Monalee for the King George, but if they end up having to run against each other they have to run against each other.
“Ideally you’d prefer not to, with the same owners.”
Earlier in the day, Fakiera (4-1) claimed the 12.10 Betvictor Casino ‘Monksfield’ Novice Hurdle from Fire Attack (7-1) in second and third-placed Champagne Gold (18-1).
And the 1:45 Irish Stallion Farms Ebf Beginners Chase was won by Blackbow (5-2), ridden by David Mullins and trained by Willie Mullins. 6-5 favourite Entoucas was runner-up with Defi Bleu (11-2) third.
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