Roi Du Mee outspeeded Prince De Beauchene and Seabass to take the At The Races Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse.
Roi Du Mee outspeeded Prince De Beauchene and Seabass to take the At The Races Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse.
Last Updated: 23/02/13 3:25pm
The 5/1 chance was only third behind Prince De Beauchene in the same Grade Two contest 12 months ago, but had looked an improved performer this season, winning four of his previous five races en-route to this contest.
Davy Russell executed an excellent front-running ride aboard the winner, with Prince De Beauchene travelling on his heels for much of the three-mile-one-furlong trip.
The pair were racing alongside each other coming to the fourth-last fence but a mistake from Prince De Beauchene saw him lose some momentum.
He soon came back on the bridle for Paul Townend and as the race got serious two fences from home, Katie Walsh produced Seabass to launch his challenge.
However Roi Du Mee proved game up front and despite moving across to the stands rail, he kept finding for Russell and held on by two lengths.
"He's game and he's a fit horse too, so maybe with those other horses still having their first couple of races that might have given him the edge," jockey Davy Russell told At The Races.
"We always said we'd keep him to this level but I'm sure Gordon will find the right race for him."
Owner Graham Wylie refused to be downcast over the performance of Prince De Beauchene, despite the horse's defeat.
"He ran with the choke out in the first half of the race and that's perhaps why he didn't quite get home, but that will take the fizz out of him," said Wylie.
"He's a very good jumper and hopefully he will jump well round there too.
"I've just been talking to Willie and we'll see how he is in the morning but he might just have a racecourse gallop before the race now and he'll go there with On His Own.
"We were a bit surprised when On His Own won this week, as he's a stayer, but he's a stayer with a bit of speed. Hopefully they will both go to Aintree with good chances."