Meade completes Down Royal double

Noel Meade completed a double at Down Royal today as his Tiger Sam justified 7/4 favouritism to win the Rainbow Communications Handicap Chase and provide jockey Donagh Meyler with his first winner for the former Champion Trainer.

There was only one fence to jump in the home straight in the race as the third last fence was omitted due to the low-lying sun and the final fence was taken out due to dramatic damage done to it (by Net D’Ecosse, who himself survived his final fence blunder) in the earlier chase. Meyler negotiated the course nicely and while he sent Tiger Sam to the front jumping the final obstacle, the pair were made work by Topper Thornton before scoring a half length win.

Meade was earlier successful with Bel Ami De Sivola in a maiden hurdle and following Tiger Sam’s win, said “he’s a half brother to Chief Dan George and I bought him as a yearling . However I later said to the man who bred him ‘he's no good’ but he told me not to worry as none of that family are any good until they are six or seven!

"He's starting to improve a bit - he’s never won a hurdle race and he couldn't win a point-to-point but he jumped quite well and he stays.”

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Michael Graham