Dublin Chase: Gentleman De Mee defeats Blue Lord in Leopardstown shock
Gentleman De Mee returned to the form that saw him defeat Edwardstone at Aintree last season; Blue Lord disappointed as a very short-priced favourite for the Willie Mullins team; the winner is now a 5/1 shot for the Champion Chase
Sunday 5 February 2023 15:51, UK
Gentleman De Mee reversed the form with Blue Lord to land the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase at Leopardstown.
The JP McManus-owned seven-year-old was a 15-2 shot in the Grade One for Willie Mullins and Danny Mullins, who was deputising for the injured Mark Walsh after he was stood down following a fall in the opening race.
Blue Lord was the 1-4 favourite after trouncing stablemate Gentleman De Mee by 41 lengths when the pair last met in the Paddy's Rewards Club Chase after Christmas - but this time it was the latter who triumphed by an easy seven lengths.
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Mullins said: "I was disappointed with Blue Lord. It's fantastic for Gentleman De Mee and great for Danny. I thought Danny was very brave on him and he was asking him everywhere the whole way down the back.
"The horse was loving it and responding to him. I thought it was a terrific performance. I was very happy with his last bit of work the other morning, I thought it was as good a gallop as I've ever seen him do.
"Things didn't go right for him at Christmas, possibly a little bit of drier ground here played to his strengths rather than Blue Lord's.
"Blue Lord had a very hard race at Christmas and Paul (Townend) thought that might have had an effect, but I think maybe it was just the change of ground.
"He was a very good novice but was just disappointing at Christmas. We forget about horses very quickly in this game. He proved today that he's still there."
