Delta Work and Jack Kennedy centre maroon clearing Ruby s Double Bank © Photo Healy Racing
Delta Work needed every yard of the trip when getting up close home to land short odds in the Pigsback.com Risk Of Thunder Chase at Punchestown.
Last years Cross Country Chase winner at the Cheltenham festival, the nine-year-old was held up in mid division by Jack Kennedy in the early stages before taking closer order jumping Ruby's Double.
However, Kennedy was soon pushing along in the saddle as the Gordon Elliott-trained gelding found the pace far from ideal.
To his credit, the eventual winner began to make good headway approaching two out and was delivered with a perfectly timed challenge to leader Singing Banjo jumping the last.
However, the latter found plenty for pressure, battling all the way to the line, eventually going down by just a short head.
“Jack said it took him a while to get going, he said he was very sticky early until he got down over the double down the bottom,” said Elliott.
“It's a bit trickier here than it is in Cheltenham. It's hard to place a horse like him now so we said we'd see how he took to this. It's job done.
“The runner-up is good around here and those horses are real specialists around here.
“He kind of pulled up from the last home, he pricked his ears and didn't do much.
“He used to wear cheek-pieces over fences and I wouldn't be surprised if they were back on him again at some stage.
“We try to do different things with him at home, we take him away to a lot of different places to school him.
“He's very good around Cheltenham but he still has a bit to learn over the banks here.
“Jack was happy so if he's happy I'm happy.
“He'll probably have one run between now and Cheltenham all being well.
“There is a race in January in Cheltenham for him or he could maybe run in the Boyne Hurdle. We probably wouldn't be here, only it was called off there last time because of the ground.”
Paddy Power left Delta Work unchanged at 15/8 for a follow up in the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham and he also remains 20/1 for the Grand National.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
