TWE Chasing Performance Of The Season

With the jumps season all but over due to the Coronavirus pandemic we have nominated our best performance of the season from the chase division.

Cheltenham brings out the best races every season with every horses heading to Prestbury Park primed and wanting to make history for connections.

A horse that made waves as a hurdler last season and was bought to be a chaser was Champ, named after the greatest jockey in the sport A P McCoy.

J P McManus owns the gelding and consults with the ex champion jockey McCoy over where the horse should be going during his career and under the tutelage of Nicky Henderson from the start has worked wonders.

After landing two grade Ones as a hurdler he stepped into Novice Chasing this season and after landing his first two contests fairly comfortably, he was set to do so again at Cheltenham on New Year's Day.

He was clear in the Dipper Chase when taking a nasty, novice fall which put into question his jumping of the bigger obstacles.

With the weather taking its toll on many racecourses up and down the country Champ was not sent out again before the RSA where he gave the performance of the season in our eyes.

Under the ride of the week from Barry Geraghty the gelding made up a huge amount of ground up the hill to sneak between the pair of leaders Allaho and Minella Indo to win by a length.

Jumping the last he was at least 70 yards behind the two geldings and from nowhere got up to win in remarkable fashion.

The Betfair Exchange went crazy with Henry De Bromhead's gelding touching 1.06 and not going on to win but overall it was the genius and staying ability of Champ that should be respected.

That is why he is the proud winner of TWE's Chasing performance of the season.