Foxrock (Adrian Heskin) leads Byerley Babe over the last© Photo Healy Racing
Foxrock gained ample compensation for defeat in the Paddy Power Chase here at Christmas when running out a clearcut winner of the €100,000 BoyleSports Handicap Chase at Leopardstown.
The Ted Walsh-trained gelding went up 7lb in the ratings for that second placing behind Living Next Door but that proved no problem as the 6/1 shot powered clear after the last for Adrian Heskin to score by five lengths. Byerley Babe appeared a danger approaching the final fence but could find no extra on the run-in, while Heaney was just a short-head back in third.
Walsh said, "If he ran as well as in the Paddy Power I thought he was able and he was probably a better horse than in the Paddy Power. He quickened up well after the last and ran to the line. He jumped a bit high early on. He's only seven and will improve.
"I just think it's an absolute disgrace that the program committee put this race and the Thyestes on in the space of a week. The Leopardstown Chase should be on in February as no horse that is going to run in this is going to run in the Hennessy.
"We used to have the Paddy Power at Christmas, the Thyestes in January, the Leopardstown Chase in February and then the Irish National in late March. Those were the traditional dates.
"Anyway I'm delighted I won it! He'll get another eight or nine pounds. He's finished in handicaps and if he's fresh and well he might run in the Hennessy or maybe the Bobbyjo, those type of races."
Winning owner Barry Connell said, "He ran into a bit of traffic in the Paddy Power and jumped a bit slow at the fourth last and third last but ran a cracker. It was only his second handicap and he learned from it.
"He has plenty of gears and the drop back to 2m5f wasn't really an issue. He winged the last and really sprinted away from it. We didn't enter him in the Gold Cup as we didn't want to be tempted to run him.
"He's going to get a rise now into at least the mid-150's and he's probably entitled to have a go at the Hennessy. He's a progressive second season novice and the dream is still alive.
"He'll handle better ground as well, and going to the major spring Festivals won't be an issue. He's more mature this year and last year he used to get quite nervous racing and when he went to Cheltenham didn't drink at all, so I think you can put a line through that run."
(GC & AM)
