Three Irish Chasers To Keep On Side This Season

A JP McManus owned horse we like the look of over fences this season is Le Richebourg for Joseph O'Brien and although being a very delicate horse, he holds plenty of potential.

The seven year old at the start of the 2018/19 season gave some solid performances winning a Beginners Chase at Listowel and backing that up at Tipperary in a Grade Three.

Showing obvious signs of potential he was put into the in the Grade One Drinmore Novices Chase just being edged out by multiple black type winer Delta Work.

He headed to Leopardstown on Boxing Day after that run and landed the first Grade One of his career in the Racing Post Novice Chase.

Having his final run in February 2019 before the Cheltenham festival he landed another Group One at Leopardstown and was named the Arkle favourite for that season.

However, after picking up an injury he missed the Cheltenham festival and rest of that season and was expected back for the 2019/20 campaign.

Unfortunately, the gelding had another setback and missed another season, but if being able to get back to his old form after so long off he has to be taken seriously in the Champion Chase.

The six year old has raced nine times during his short career and has not finished outside the top three in his point to point and rules career to date.

In 2019 on his final two starts he really came to life landing the Grade One Albert Bartlett at the festival at a huge price of 50/1 and then backed that up at the Punchestown festival when landing another classy Grade One.

This horse had always been bought for chasing and the yard were very excited last term to see how good he can be after making a positive start to life over the bigger obstacles when second behind star mare Laurina on debut.

He got off the mark at Navan in great style seeing off 12 runners when stepped up to three miles for the first time and used that run to finish a superb second, narrowly behind Champ in one of the greatest renewals of the RSA ever seen at the festival.

Now stepping out of novice company and ready to step up to the big stage of chasing, he looks a horse to really keep on side especially after his recent debut.

The Henry De Bromhead trained seven year old started off his campaign at Wexford in the Grade Three Memorial Chase and after a foot perfect round of jumping he went on to land the event by 25 lengths.

Finally, the somewhat forgotten horse last season, Samcro will not be forgotten this season as the the one of a kind eight year old for Gordon Elliott looks to be back to his best.

The gelding was a superstar over hurdles landing the Grade One Ballymore Novices Hurdle at the 2018 Cheltenham festival and then since then went off the boil.

He was taken chasing and landed his debut over fences nicely before falling in the Grade One Drinmore Novices Hurdle when looking sure to make a challenge.

He was poor again in a Grade One behind Faugheen and he kept scoping wrong and looked to be a horse that could not come back to his best.

However, in the Marsh Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham festival it was him and Melon going to the line and in a head bob Samcro got the decision in what was one of the best races across the four day meeting.

The training performance by Elliott to get him to come back from some dreadful runs and looking like a horse who had completely lost his potential and ability, he can once again this season build off his second win at Prestbury Park now stepping out of novice company.