Home By The Lee takes Christmas crown at Leopardstown
Alan Magee, PA
Home By The Lee proved his surprise victory at Navan last month was no fluke with a battling success in the Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Joseph O’Brien’s charge was a widely unconsidered 28-1 shot for the Grade Two Lismullen Hurdle in mid-November, but knuckled down to see off the strong-travelling Bob Olinger, with Ashdale Bob and dual Stayers’ Hurdle hero Flooring Porter back in third and fourth.
All four were again in action in this three-mile Grade One, with Bob Olinger the marginal favourite to provide Henry de Bromhead with victory in a race named in memory of his late son, just ahead of Flooring Porter at 2-1.
The latter adopted his customary pacesetting role under Danny Mullins, while Bob Olinger was given a more patient ride under Rachael Blackmore.
But it became clear leaving the back straight that both of the market principals were in trouble, with Flooring Porter picked up by both 7-1 shot Home By The Lee and Ashdale Bob, while Bob Olinger found little once push came to shove.
Ashdale Bob looked to be travelling best of all on the approach to the final flight, but it was Home By The Lee who saw out the distance best under JJ Slevin to score by three lengths.
Paddy Power cut the winner to 6-1 from 20-1 for the Stayers’ Hurdle, a race in which he finished sixth last season.
O’Brien said: “I was actually worried how well he was travelling through the race because he never does travel well. I thought he was going to waste too much energy travelling and jumping well but he’s a really good stayer.
“He keeps finding and even when he got to the front, he pricked his ears again.
“I was surprised he beat Bob Olinger in Navan but he really was going well. He was discounted in the betting but we hoped he’d be placed and then come here.
“He’s always been a fairly good horse. He was a good novice chaser and then lost his confidence jumping fences and we came back hurdling.
“He’ll probably go straight to Cheltenham now for the Stayers’. He likes getting into a nice rhythm and wasn’t beaten a million miles in it last year. He looks a better horse this year.”
Flooring Porter was edged out by Meet And Greet for third, with Mullins banned for five days and forfeiting his riding fee after the stewards judged he had not obtained the best possible placing.
