Appreciate It rules supreme on chase debut

Supreme Novices Hurdle winner Appreciate It (1/5f) won on belated chase debut today, bringing up Punchestown trebles for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend in the Last Chance 20% Off Festival Tickets Beginners Chase.

Winner of Cheltenham festival's 2021 curtain-raiser, a minor injury 12 months ago scuppered connections' initial novice chase plans and today reappeared having finished seventh, on his only start last term, in March's Champion Hurdle.

Front-running, the eight-year-old made one slight mistake at halfway and another at the last but shook off the challenge of Top Bandit on the run-in, to score easily.

Mullins, earlier successful with Saylavee and impressive Durkan Chase winner Galopin Des Champs reported “he went out and did his own work in front. He was very idle in front and Jack Kennedy (on runner-up Top Bandit) kept him honest over the last couple. I couldn’t ask for any better.

“It was only two miles and we’ll see how he comes out of it. We’ll see if there is something between now and the Dublin Racing Festival.

“He’s an Arkle (Chase) type and we have other horses to come out over the next few days. I don’t know if they are as good as him but we’ll give them the opportunity.”

Paddy Power and Betfair cut Appreciate It's odds for the Arkle Chase to 4/1 (from 5/1) and to 10/1 (from 14s) for the Turners Novices Chases, both at the Cheltenham festival.

Quotes from Alan Magee