Affordale Fury Claims Savills Chase Victory at Leopardstown
Affordale Fury, a seven-year-old trained by Noel Meade and ridden by Sam Ewing, secured a significant breakthrough by winning the Savills Chase at Leopardstown. This victory marked only his fifth chase start outside novice company and his fourth outing since October, overcoming previous career interruptions of 438 and 241 days due to long breaks.
Affordale Fury finished 2.5 lengths clear of I Am Maximus, with Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs placing third after taking the lead at the second-last fence. Inothewayurthinkin, the 2025 Gold Cup winner trained by Gavin Cromwell, finished last of the nine runners in the race.
Post-race comments from trainer Noel Meade highlighted the horse's recent improvement and linked this progression to his strong second-place performance in the Albert Bartlett, attributing success to overcoming past fragility.
Following the race, the Cheltenham Gold Cup market saw Galopin Des Champs at 7-1 and Inothewayurthinkin at 6-1, with Jango Baie and The Jukebox Man both at 8-1, and Gaelic Warrior at 10-1. Inothewayurthinkin's odds had drifted to 13-2 ahead of the race. Meade's stable was cut to around 12-1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup after Affordale Fury's success, sparking increased focus on his prospects for the upcoming festival, recalling the historical impact of Irish jumps championships on the market.
