Vieux Morvan leads Last Goodbye over the last© Photo Healy Racing
Last Goodbye provided Wexford trainer Liz Doyle and talented claimer Adam Short with a big race success when finishing strongly to land the Chanelle Pharma Handicap Chase at Leopardstown.
The seven-year-old gelding was produced on the outer in the straight by Short, and the 12/1 chance stayed on strongly in the closing stages to beat Vieux Morvan by nine lengths. Uncle Danny could find no extra on the run-in to finish a further nine and a half lengths away in third, while General Principle completed the places in fourth.
Doyle said, “That is a plan landed! He was going really well in the Troytown and split the fourth last. He made a small bit of a noise coming up the straight and Mark (Walsh) just left him alone.
“I felt there was one of these races in him on his run at Cheltenham last year (fifth in the Close Brothers Novices Handicap Chase). He got in awful trouble there and two horses came down in front of him and he stormed up the hill.
“We just kept him wide today and fitted blinkers and a tongue tie which did the trick plus he got a beautiful ride from a very good 7lb claimer.
“If the ground is better in Cheltenham we may look at three miles because he was flying home last year.”
Short was partnering his 20th winner here and his claim is now reduced to 5lb.
The 9/2 favourite Hell's Kitchen was pulled up quickly before the second last and was reported lame post-race.
