Minella Indo and Rachael Blackmore lead Stattler at the last© Photo Healy Racing
Gold Cup hero Minella Indo today notched a first success since Cheltenham in 2021 when landing Tramore's Grade 3 Savills New Year's Day Chase for trainer Henry De Bromhead, owner Barry Maloney and jockey Rachael Blackmore.
Runner-up in last year's Gold Cup, Minella Indo (7/4) today qualified as a veteran, having turned ten, and faced four rivals, three of which were trained by Willie Mullins and included March's National Hunt Chase winner Stattler (4/5f).
Mullins, a director at the racecourse, has established the race as a Gold Cup trial through Al Boum Photo's wins from 2019 to '22, but today lost his five-year stranglehold to De Bromhead, previously successful with Champange West in 2017.
Outsider Roi Mage made the running in the 2m6f and 50-yards race but was headed by Minella Indo at the second-last. Stattler gave chase but was unable to concede 8lb to the winner, which battled bravely for a neck success.
De Bromhead himself bravely said "it's an emotional day when you see pictures of Jacksy (De Bromhead) up around the place. Often these things don't happen in racing but to win the big race here at our local track on this day is fantastic.
"I'm delighted for Indo and the Maloneys and for everyone. It's brilliant to see the crowd here and the roar he got was amazing. We know everyone is thinking of us and it's just brilliant. The support from everyone really helps us through it.”
He added “the horse deserved it and Rachael was brilliant on him. She gave him a really good ride and he jumped brilliant apart from the last possibly. He just got under it a bit. I thought we were going to get done but Rachael really got him over the line, it was fantastic.
"We will enjoy today, this is a fantastic race to win. He hasn't won since the Gold Cup (in 2021). We were thinking about the Irish Gold Cup but we might just head straight to Cheltenham - we will see."
Quotes from Donal Murphy
