Timeform summary of the top-rated chasers in 2022/23
Staying chasers
There had been no more exciting chasing prospect among the previous season’s novices than Galopin des Champs (c181) and he duly confirmed that promise in his second season over fences which culminated in one of the best performances seen in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in recent years.
In a vintage field and a soundly-run race, Galopin des Champs won by seven lengths (watch the replay below), adding to clear-cut wins earlier in the season in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase and Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown (when tackling three miles for the first time over fences). His unbeaten record in his completed starts over the larger obstacles was lost when fellow seven-year-old Fastorslow (c170), runner-up in the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham, caused an upset in the Punchestown Gold Cup. That’s surely only a temporary blip in Galopin des Champs’ record, though, and he’ll take all the beating again this season.
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Chasing him home at Cheltenham, and then just a nose behind him in third at Punchestown, was Bravemansgame (c174), he too fulfilling all his promise as a novice to give his trainer Paul Nicholls his thirteenth win in the King George VI Chase. Also the winner of the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby beforehand, the sound-jumping Bravemansgame had the measure of another of the leading novices from the previous season, L’Homme Presse (c172), when that one unseated at the last at Kempton. The latter missed the remainder of the season, having put up a top-class performance on his reappearance to win the Rehearsal Handicap Chase at Newcastle under 12-0.
The other leading British staying novice from the previous season, Ahoy Senor (c171x), had mixed fortunes, often down to his jumping, which notably let him down in the Gold Cup, but he won the Cotswold Chase earlier at Cheltenham and ran another good race when going down by a length and a half to Shishkin (c176) in the Bowl Chase at Aintree (replay below). With his invincibility over two miles a thing of the past, Shishkin was tried over longer trips and found a new lease of life, also winning the Ascot Chase by a wide margin. He has the form to be a King George and possible Gold Cup contender this season.
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A bad blunder cost Shishkin dear in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, but he rallied to fill the runner-up spot behind Envoi Allen (c164), another whose reputation had taken a knock. He too got back on track over longer trips, with his other victory coming in the Champion Chase at Down Royal earlier in the season. Conflated (c168) was third at Down Royal before going on to win the Savills Chase at Leopardstown and run a career best when third in the Gold Cup ahead of Noble Yeats (c169) and Betfair Chase winner Protekorat (c168), who finished fourth and fifth respectively.
2022 Grand National winner Noble Yeats took his form to a new level, winning the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree and coming out the best horse at the weights when rallying for fourth in his bid to win the Grand National again. The latest Grand National winner Corach Rambler (c157p), following up a second consecutive success in the Ultima at Cheltenham, could be rivalling Ahoy Senor as the best chaser in Lucinda Russell’s stable before much longer.
Two-mile chasers
With Shishkin stepping up in trip after finishing a well-held third in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown, old rival Energumene (c180) proved the dominant two-mile chaser once again, at least in the spring when for the second year running he was successful in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham and the Champion Chase at Punchestown. He also made a successful return in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork for the second year, but, as in 2021/22, met with his only defeat of the campaign in the Clarence House Chase which had to be run at Cheltenham after Ascot was abandoned.
The switch to more patient tactics backfired on that occasion, leaving the front-running (c163) to pull off a surprise win following on from a still bigger-priced victory in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton. On balance, though, it was Edwardstone (c172) who was the leading British-trained two-mile chaser judged on a convincing defeat of defending champion Greaneteen (c164) in the Tingle Creek. However, Edwardstone suffered a rare jumping lapse next time in the Desert Orchid, found Editeur du Gite a head too strong in the Clarence House and then clearly wasn’t himself when trailing home last in the Champion Chase (replay below) which had looked a virtual match between himself and Energumene beforehand.
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Instead, it was the Fortria Chase winner Captain Guinness (c164) who chased home Energumene at Cheltenham, 10 lengths back in second, with both Greaneteen and Editeur du Gite beaten a long way in third and fourth. The same trio completed the frame in the same order in the Celebration Chase at Sandown on the final day of the season. At Punchestown, it was veteran stable companion Chacun Pour Soi (c168) who gave a below-par Energumene the most to do, returning to somewhere near his best at the end of a winless campaign and on what proved to be his final start before retirement.
The other Mullins pair in the Champion Chase at Punchestown, Blue Lord (c164) and Gentleman de Mee (c163), who were third and fourth respectively, had had more successful seasons. Blue Lord won the Clonmel Oil Chase and beat Captain Guinness and Chacun Pour Soi when following up in the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase at Leopardstown before the turn of the year, but he then suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Gentleman de Mee in the Dublin Chase at the last-named venue.
Gentleman de Mee missed Cheltenham due to a minor setback, while Funambule Sivola (c157), who won the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury for the second year in succession (Greaneteen only third of four at odds on), was an early casualty in the Champion Chase when falling at the third.
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