Road To Respect claimed the third Grade 1 of his young career with a very comfortable success in the first big prize of the new national hunt season in Down Royal’s feature – the JNWine Champion Chase.
Second in last year’s renewal behind Outlander, the seven-year-old who was making his seasonal reappearance having side-stepped an intended engagement in a Grade 3 at Punchestown last month, travelled ominously well into the home straight under Sean Flanagan.
Whilst the well-backed Woodland Opera gallantly attempted to make all, he soon looked like a sitting duck, and was swiftly brushed aside over the final two fences, with the chestnut son of Gamut returning the clear-cut 16-length victor for Gigginstown House Stud, who were winning the race for the sixth consecutive year.
Last year’s winner, Outlander, was a further length and three quarters back in third.
Despite still only being a seven-year-old, Noel Meade’s charge has now won three Grade 1 races and enjoyed success at the Cheltenham Festival, in the three years since he made a winning debut in a four-year-old maiden at Monksgrange when under the care of Eoin Griffin.
“He has always been one of those gassy lads at home, but today he was really settled early and probably even a bit too much,” remarked the winning rider when speaking to AtTheRaces following the success.
“He went down and absolutely winged the fifth-last, and from the moment that I landed at the back of it I knew I was home and hosed. He has done it very well and hasn’t done a stroke up the straight. He is a stronger horse this year.
“He seems to be filling the boots that we thought he would fill along the way.”
All class - Road To Respect wins the Grade 1 @jnwine Champion Chase! @Downroyal pic.twitter.com/uIREwy5lIF
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 3, 2018
