Chacun Pour Soi camp expecting greater fitness

Joe Chambers, racing manager to owner Rich Ricci, believes the Chacun Pour Soi is better prepared for this year’s Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase on Paddy Power Day at Leopardstown on December 27 than when he was denied by A Plus Tard in the same contest in 2019.

Chacun is Paddy’s hot 1-2 favourite for this Grade 1 event and he said: “He’s been absolutely fine since Cork, touch wood, although there’s still four days until the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase. He went there last year without a run which he has had this year and hopefully he’s come forward fitness wise and we think he has.

“Obviously the shape of the race has changed now with Put The Kettle On, the Arkle winner, going for it and you’ve got Notebook in there as well so it’s going to be a competitive race. We’re looking forward to seeing how he gets on and shapes up against last year’s novices.

“Cork was fine — he looked pretty tired afterwards and it was advertised at the time that Willie’s horses were either winning despite a possible lack of fitness.

“He managed to win despite this and while he didn’t jump as fluently as he can, we’re hoping for an improved performance.”

Chacun Pour Soi currently heads Paddy’s Queen Mother Champion Chase market at 11-4 with Politologue and Altior both on 6-1. Asked what he thought of those odds, Chambers replied: “We’re not paying too much attention to that.

“Obviously Politologue won it last year and we do have some unfinished business in the race after the likes of Douvan, Min and Chacun Pour Soi either disappointing or not getting the run of the race, but we’ll just take each race as it comes.

“I’d say if things did go well for him at Leopardstown, the Dublin Chase would be next more than likely, but it’s not all about the destination. It should be about the journey and this is an important race in its own right.”

Mrs Ricci also has Annamix in the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase and Chambers warns against ruling out the former Supreme Novices’ Hurdle favourite who is a 25-1 poke with Paddy after winning his first two starts over the bigger obstacles including an easy nine length win in a chase at Gowran Park last month.

He added: “He got caught by the pandemic and had only had one run before November so is very inexperienced. This is open company, but we think he has improved a lot over the last 18 months and I don’t think he should be discounted.”

A busy day for Team Ricci also includes N’Golo lining up in the Grade 1 Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle for which he is a 14-1 chance after finishing a two length third to Ballyadam, who reopposes and is Paddy’s 15-8 second favourite, in the top-class Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse last month.

Chambers said: “He’s a grand horse — huge for a Flat horse and the race at Fairyhouse probably wasn’t run to suit him. I know Paul [Townend] has gone for Appreciate It and given he was a high-class bumper horse you’d expect that.

“He has a good idea of the horses, but Fairyhouse wasn’t run to suit and I think a good earnest gallop in the race and Leopardstown will suit better. He’s a horse I don’t think we’ve seen the best of and I can see him improving as the season goes along.”