Legends of Racing

Want to watch a likely Gold Cup contender right here in Ireland? Then head for the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown this Christmas.

While the Grand National may gain more traction with the general public, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is the trophy everyone in National Hunt racing wants to win.

The three-mile, two-furlong test at Prestbury Park is the pinnacle of the sport, requiring speed, stamina and faultless jumping.

While we have our own Gold Cup – known as the Hennessy and run in February at Leopardstown – the record of its winners at Cheltenham is poor, meaning the Lexus Chase is now the best place to get a glimpse of a future Gold Cup champ.

First run in 1986, it became its current three-mile distance in 1992 when Ericsson came on board as sponsors (Lexus took over title sponsorship n 2004).

A year after his Gold Cup success, Imperial Call came home to win the Lexus with Conor O’Dwyer in 1997. Rince Ri won the race twice for Ted Walsh at the turn of the last century (1999, 2000) but never made a mark at the Cotswolds.

It wasn’t until the last 10 years, when Gold Cup horses were more carefully managed and run less frequently, that the Lexus came into its own as a rival to the King George as a Gold Cup tryout.

Foxchapel King won the race in 2001 before trailing in ninth behind Best Mate in the 2002 Gold Cup. Massive Irish hero Beef Or Salmon then won the first of his three Lexus crowns in 2002, but Michael Hourigan’s star famously never landed the Gold Cup in five attempts.

Double Gold Cup winner (at the time) Best Mate, came to Leopardstown and won the Lexus in 2003 giving fans here a real treat before going on to complete his superlative hat-trick.

In 2007 Christmas racegoers in Dublin were treated to the sight of Denman romping home in the Lexus. Already a Cheltenham winner in the Royal and Sun Alliance the previous season, Paul Nicholls gem arrived in Leopardstown in stunning form and took the honours before winning his only Gold Cup later that season.

Since then Exotic Dancer, What A Friend and Pandorama have all won the Lexus and they proved their class at Cheltenham too. Exotic Dancer followed up his win in 2009 with a third place behind Kauto Star and Denman while Pandorama was fourth behind the same two and winner Long Run last year.

There are few classier races on Irish soil. This year’s running looks to be exceptional even though Denman sadly won’t be appearing after retiring earlier this month.

Quito De La Roque and Rubi Light head the market but Bostons Angel, Joncol and Noland all have claims. Are any of them potential Gold Cup winners?

Time will tell on that.