Respect keeps it in the family as he bags Christmas Chase

Victory in the Grade 1 Christmas Chase at Leopardstown on Thursday for Road To Respect not only saw him lead home a one-two-three for Gigginstown House Stud but also become the second winner of this contest in three years from his family.

The six-year-old, trained by Noel Meade, travelled sweetly into the home straight and his clean jump at the last saw him take the lead from Outlander and Balko Des Flos.

Balko Des Flos tried to rally but it was Road To Respect who held on gamely to win by one and a quarter lengths.

Back in 2014, Road To Riches secured his second win at the highest level when getting the better of On His Own by one and a half lengths to land this very race. Out of the unraced Over The River mare Bellora, Road To Riches is a half-sister to Lora Lady - the dam of Road To Respect.

Watch Road To Respect's victory in the Christmas Chase

While it was Sunnyhill Stud who bred Road To Riches, Ivy Rothwell bred Thursday's winner out of the unraced Lord Americo mare Lora Lady - who she sourced for the bargain sum of €400 at the Goresbridge October Sale in 2010.

She was offered in foal to Group 1 scorer Gamut, whose biggest victory came when landing the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud as a five-year-old, and who is also the sire of Road To Riches. At the time of her sale, Road To Riches would have been an unraced three-year-old who was yet to showcase his talents as a chaser.

Road To Respect is the only winner that Lora Lady has produced since retiring to the paddocks but she has also been responsible for Lady Lorabelle, whose best effort came when finishing fourth in a bumper.

Lora Lady has a two-year-old brother to Road To Respect along with a yearling filly by Leading Light and a colt foal by Fairly Ransom, meaning there is plenty to come for the Grade 1-producing dam.

Road To Riches is the leading performer over jumps by Racing Post Ratings for Rosshill Farm resident Gamut on a mark of 173 with Road To Respect rated at 162. The pair are by far his standout progeny but the 18-year-old son of Spectrum is also the sire of Harry Fry's eye-catching hurdler Any Drama.

Read the Bloodstock Review 2017 - including an interview with Tally-Ho Stud, features on Coolmore breeding, Scat Daddy and Frankel, profiles of the stars of the year and lots more