Defan and Darragh O'Keeffe ping an early fence© Photo Healy Racing
Henry De Bromhead bagged another Listowel handicap chase win today with Defan a year to the day since his Grand National hero Minella Times scored at the Kerry festival.
Minella Times won Listowel's Southampton Goodwill Plate Chase on this day in 2020, seven months before his Aintree Grand National win, and in today's Charlie Chute Memorial Handicap Chase, Defan led home a 1-2 for trainer De Bromhead.
Ridden by Jockeys' Championship leader Darragh O'Keeffe, Defan, a son of Kayf Tara, beat stablemate Zarkareva by a length, winning on handicap chase debut.
Following the race O'Keeffe said “his jumping was very good and probably won it for him.
“He had a nice weight but for a lad who has only had a couple of chase runs, it was a good test in his first handicap.
“You'd know by the shape he made over hurdles that he was always going to be a better chaser and thankfully that's the way it has panned out.”
