Dee Capo
Dee Capo did well to win the good two-mile-five-and-a-half-furlong beginners' chase on the third day of Leopardstown's Christmas Festival. Held up early on by Danny Gilligan behind a sedate pace that Chapeau De Soleil set, he was still last of the eight runners as they faced up to the third last fence, but he wasn't much more than four lengths behind the leader. Kept towards the inside as they raced around the home turn, he made good ground to almost join Chapeau De Soleil and Quai De Bourbon on the run to the final fence. The leader battled well in the centre, but Dee Capo was strong up the hill all the way to the winning line, and he forged on to win by a neck, with Quai De Bourbon just a half a length back in third, and the three of them clear.
This was another nice step forward by Gordon Elliott's horse on his third run over fences. He didn't jump well when he finished well behind Ballyburn on his chasing debut at Punchestown in November, but he was much better next time at Navan, he was in a breakaway group of five when he came down at the second last fence. He probably wouldn't have beaten Ile Atlantique that day, but Ile Atlantique is a really talented chaser, he beat Firefox and Inthepocket to win the Grade 2 novices' chase at Naas there on Sunday. And Dee Capo may have finished second behind him. At the very worst, he would almost certainly have finished in among Waterford Whispers and Good Land, in front of Whats Up Darling. He was running a big race.
He stepped up on that at Leopardstown though. He did well to come from the rear of the field off a moderate pace. He was a talented hurdler, he reached a rating of 144 over hurdles, but he is shaping now as if he will be even better over fences. That Leopardstown beginners' chase has been a really good pointer to the future in the past, the last three renewals were won by Galopin Des Champs, Gentlemansgame and Fact To File, and there is every chance that Dee Capo can go on from this now. Out of a half-sister to Vauban's dam, from the family of Arc winner Waldgeist and St Leger winner Masked Marvel, he could do even better too for a greater test of stamina, softer ground or a stronger pace or a longer trip or some combination thereof.
Leopardstown, 28th December 2024
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