Meade happy as Road To Respect seeks back-to-back wins in Savills Chase

3.00 Leopardstown
Savills Chase (Grade 1) | 3m | 5yo+ | RTE2/ATR

Road To Respect, the 16-length winner of the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal last month, heads the market for the Friday feature at Leopardstown in his bid for a fourth Grade 1 triumph.

Success for the Noel Meade-trained seven-year-old would make him the first back-to-back winner of the Leopardstown event since Beef Or Salmon won the race for the third time in 2005.

Watch Road To Respect's win in last year's race

Twelve months ago Road To Respect led home a 1-2-3 for Gigginstown House Stud and Balko Des Flos and Outlander, who ran second and third respectively then, are again in the line-up.

Meade said: "We're very happy with Road To Respect. He hasn't taken a wrong step since Down Royal.

"We took him to Navan recently and all went well there. Sean [Flanagan, jockey] is delighted with him."

Meade is also represented by Disko, a four-time winner over fences who has been off the track since November 2017.

"Disko fractured his skull and cracked a wither and it has taken time to get him back," said Meade.

"We're getting there with him and he's ready to start again, but he's probably going to need the run."

Road To Respect

Pros Proven Grade 1 performer and trounced his rivals at Down Royal last time

Cons Won't have things as easy as he did at Down Royal

Shattered Love leads Elliott trio

Shattered Love, winner of the JLT Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, will attempt to become the first mare to land the prize since the distance of the race was increased to three miles in 1992.

A course-and-distance winner at Grade 1 level at the meeting a year ago, the Gordon Elliott-trained seven-year-old has been second over shorter trips on her two starts this season.

"She's in great order and I think going back up in trip will suit her well," Elliott said.

Stablemate Outlander, winner of the race two years ago, was 18 lengths behind Road To Respect at Down Royal last month, while Elliott is also represented by The Storyteller, a winner at the Cheltenham Festival last season and a Grade 1 winner over this trip.

Elliott said: "Outlander is well but he has two ways of running. Hopefully it'll be one of his good days. He's shown that he likes Leopardstown.

"The Storyteller will need to improve but he's one who will appreciate the good ground."

Shattered Love

Pros Tough, genuine mare who should be suited by this return to three miles

Cons Will need to improve if she is to secure a third Grade 1 win to go with her two novice victories at the top level

Double chance for De Bromhead

Trainer Henry de Bromhead will be bidding for a first win in the race and fires two arrows at the target with Balko Des Flos, runner-up in the race 12 months ago, and Monalee.

Balko Des Flos has already had two big paydays over fences, winning the Galway Plate last year and the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham in March, while Monalee was a Grade 1 winner over the course last season, when he also ran second to Presenting Percy in the RSA Chase.

De Bromhead said: "Both horses are in good form. Balko Des Flos improved from his run at Down Royal to finish third in the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown last time.

"We're hoping Monalee will have progressed from his run behind Snow Falcon at Down Royal last month. It's hard to split them."

Monalee

Pros Consistent performer who should have improved from reappearance run at Down Royal

Cons Ground might not be ideal

Balko Des Flos

Pros Smart performer at his best, with a Galway Plate and a Ryanair Chase to his credit

Cons Disappointing on return at Down Royal and, while his Punchestown effort was better, plenty more will be required here

Easier ground could help Anibale to fly

JP McManus, who enjoyed his only win to date in this contest when Synchronised scored in 2011, is three-handed with Anibale Fly, Edwulf and Coney Island.

Anibale Fly, third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and fourth in the Grand National at Aintree last season, and Edwulf have both enjoyed big-race success over the course and trip, landing the Paddy Power Handicap Chase and Irish Gold Cup respectively last season.

McManus's racing manager Frank Berry said: "Anibale Fly is in very good form and if the ground eased a bit it would help him.

"We were happy with Edwulf's first run of the season. He should have come forward from it and Joseph [O'Brien, trainer] is very happy with him."

Berry added of the third McManus contender Coney Island: "He had a moderate campaign last season but Eddie [Harty, trainer] is happier with him now and we're just hoping he runs a good race."

Anibale Fly

Pros Gold Cup third and Grand National fourth who was impressive at this meeting last year in fiercely competitive handicap chase

Cons Has come up a little short at Grade 1 level in the past and will need to have improved stacks from Cork comeback run

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