General Principle and Bryan Cooper© Photo Healy Racing
Four went to post for the HPR Fleet Management Beginners Chase at Gowran. Dicosimo (7/4) came down at the last with a circuit to go, leaving General Principle in charge of the two and a half miler.
Dicosimo was leading at the time of his departure. Then the Bryan Cooper-ridden General Principle was left in splendid isolation and he made the rest. Cloudy Morning and Theturnofthesun did try to close down the Gigginstown House Stud-owned and Gordon Elliott-trained General Principle in the straight.
However Cooper merely seemed to be taking a safety first approach and General Principle eventually crossed the line with nine lengths and a half a length in hand over Cloudy Morning and Theturnofthesun.
"It wasn't ideal being left in front but he got around and he won. There is not a whole lot more you can say," was Elliott's post race reaction.
(AM & EM)
