What a season for Carlingford Lough

Carlingford’s Lough’s remarkable season got even better as he outbattled Morning Assembly to seal the valuable Grade 1 Topaz Novice Chase in Leopardstown.

The seven-year-old won the Galway Plate and was second in both the Kerry National and the Drinmore Chase.

He raced in rear of the seven runners in this contest before making progress down the outside coming to two out. Tony McCoy had him in contention at the final fence and the pair stayed on resolutely to beat Morning Assembly the 9/10 favourite by a length and a half. Sizing Rio was pulled up abruptly before the second last.

“I probably rode him a bit too aggressively in the Drinmore. He tends to jump a bit left. He’s a good tough seasoned handicapper,” Tony McCoy said of the 5/1 shot.

“He’s a progressive horse and he seems to stay well. I rode him in the Kerry National and he got a bit outpaced and came home well. He’s progressed again. Morning Assembly is obviously a decent yardstick. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a little bit better going left-handed. The Sun Alliance is an open enough contest, you never know he might end up in one of those races.

“John’s a really nice man and a great trainer. He said he had him spot on for the Galway Plate. To keep him on the go from early summer to now is a great training feat."

Trainer John Kiely said: “That ground was ideal, it wasn’t too soft. He’s a horse with a year’s experience and he keeps improving all the time. His owner has great patience which helps a lot. He runs well fresh so if he goes to Cheltenham I doubt he’ll run beforehand.”

Paddy Power gave Carlingford Lough a first show of 12/1 for the RSA chase at Cheltenham.

Additional reporting by Alan Magee