BANDBRIDGE KEPT ON strongly to become the first Irish-trained winner of the Grade Two Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton today.
Joseph O’Brien’s eight-year-old was having his first outing for 275 days but got the better of defending champion Pic D’Orhy thanks to jumping the final fence better under JJ Slevin.
Pic D’Orhy, who coasted to a 16-length success in this contest 12 months ago, set the pace early on from Banbridge, with the other three runners in a line a few lengths back. Notlongtillmay made a brief forward move on the turn for home, while Edwardstone and Janidil never quite got into the contest.
That left Banbridge and Pic D’Orhy to battle it out up the home straight and a late blunder by the latter proved decisive, with the 3-1 victor prevailing by a length and three-quarters.
There was a sad postscript to the race, as Notlongtillmay suffered a fatal fall at the last fence.
Banbridge’s winning owner Ronnie Bartlett told Racing TV: “We were always looking for good ground for him and we got it today. He was maybe a wee bit rusty at times but we’re very happy – he put up a solid performance.
“We’ve had him bubbling for a long time and there have been races we were going for but the ground wasn’t what we wanted, but Joseph said there is still some improvement to go and we’re happy with that.”
Banbridge was cut for the Ryanair Chase after this win.
“We’ll wait and see what the ground is like, he’s a spring horse, so we’ll watch him accordingly, but all being well, that’s the race we’ll be going for,” added Bartlett.
Elsewhere at Fairyhouse, Paul Townend and Willie Mullins combined for victory in the feature race in the SBK Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Steeplechase.
🟡⚫️ Uncle Phil delivers the goods in the €100,000 SBK Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase for Willie Mullins & Paul Townend at @Fairyhouse pic.twitter.com/fLlRUyTZua
— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) January 13, 2024
Uncle Phil (11-2) was first home, just under four lengths clear, of Lucid Dreams, while favourite Letsbeclearaboutit was back in third.
Star jockey-trainer combo Townend and Mullins enjoyed a treble at the Meath track.
Miss Manzor justified 6-4 favouritism in the opening hurdle, while another favourite Hunters Yarn later took the beginners’ steeplechase.
