Meade maps out big plans for Affordale Fury

Chasing debutants Affordale Fury and Favori De Champdou dominated the Colm Quinn BMW Irish EBF Beginners Chase in Galway with the former taking the honours from the latter.

Favori De Champdou set out to make all over this extended 2m6f but he had Affordale Fury in close attendance throughout. The duo were some six lengths clear of Daily Present after a circuit and soon had their four rivals toiling with six fences to jump.

Favori De Champdou made a bold bid off the front, but was unable to shake off Affordale Fury who stalked him all the way before going on after the last.

Sam Ewing kept him up to his work on the long uphill climb for home as a persistent Favori De Champdou refused to go away. The 4/6 favourite passed the post a-length-and-a-half clear of Favori De Champdou (5/2) with a yawning chasm back to the remainder.

Affordale Fury was runner-up in Grade 1 novice hurdles at Cheltenham and Punchestown last season and this marked a more than satisfactory opening to his chasing career.

Trainer Noel Meade said: "It is a bit of a relief as in beginners' chases you never know what will happen. He was very good, though, and those ex point-to-pointers are well schooled. We brought him to the Curragh a few weeks ago and he was really really good.

"He would like a little nicer ground than that and got tired in the end, but he didn't get as tired as the others. 

"Where I'd love to be is in Leopardstown over Christmas for the Grade 1 novice over three miles. We'll enter him for the Drinmore in between, but might instead run in the Grade 2 Florida Pearl (2m6f, Punchestown) instead."

He added "Sam's dad Warren had him as a young horse and Sam is sponsored by Philip Polly, who also sponsors Danny McMenamin in Scotland. It's Sam's first winner back from injury and he is blowing as hard as the horse!"

Paddy Power cut Affordale Fury from 20/1 to 14/1 for the National Hunt Chase and from 25/1` to 20/1 for the Brown Advisory.

Additional reporting by Tom Weekes