'Real professional' Djelo has odds slashed for Ryanair after dominant victory in Denman Chase

It did not look a given for much of the race – and jockey Charlie Deutsch admitted afterwards to being "anxious" – but Djelo ultimately answered any questions about his stamina for three miles with a decisive success in the Denman Chase. 

Running over the longest trip he has encountered, Djelo was dropped in early by Deutsch and was still positioned well off the pace exiting the back straight for the final time. At that point the rider let out a few distress signals, urging his mount along with only one horse struggling behind him. 

Yet as soon as Djelo was switched out, he accelerated past rivals and quickly came back on the bridle approaching the third-last, where he went on again to win comfortably from Hitman, who finished second in the race for the third year in a row.

"First time over the trip, you're never sure, but he saw it out well," said Deutsch. "I was slightly off the bridle at the cross fence and a little bit anxious, then I opened him up and pulled him out and thought I'd probably done it too soon.

"He had a bit of speed and his jumping was good. He's a progressive horse who's brave and a real professional."

An impressive winner from Protektorat in the Peterborough Chase over two and a half miles, Djelo was comprehensively beaten by that rival over two miles and six furlongs at Windsor last month, but proved a different proposition this time as the well-backed 6-4 favourite.

"Huntingdon really impressed me but he won that easily and I wasn't sure what happened to the rest of them," said Deutsch. "At Windsor, it never seemed to flow and happen, but I suppose it's a very different track to here."

Trainer Venetia Williams was impressed with Djelo's finishing effort and pointed the way to the Cheltenham Festival next.

Venetia Williams: "We've got him in the Ryanair and Champion Chase and I would say it will be the Ryanair"Credit: Edward Whitaker

She said: "We left the tactics to Charlie and we didn't want him to be too keen, so he dropped him right out and he settled beautifully. Once he set him alight, the turbo kicked in very quickly. We've got him in the Ryanair and Champion Chase and I would say it will be the Ryanair."

The bookmakers reacted to the performance by cutting Djelo for the Ryanair, with Betfair Sportsbook going 14-1 (from 20).

Williams has hit full stride again in a brilliant season and moved past the £1 million prize-money mark for the campaign with victory for owner Peter Davies in the £85,000 Grade 2 race.

"We can't do it without the generous owners and their support and I think it's a milestone for both of us as it puts Peter second in the owners' table," she said.

Bravemansgame raced prominently and plugged on for third with trainer Paul Nicholls looking towards the Randox Grand National with the ten-year-old.

Nicholls, who also has the National in mind for Hitman, said of Bravemansgame: "They sprinted a bit from two out and he was done by younger legs. He has run a really nice race. He went around with his ears pricked, loving it."

Ryanair Chase (Cheltenham, March 13)
Betfair Sportsbook: 2-1 Fact To File, 9-2 Il Est Francais, 5 Spillane's Tower, 6 Gaelic Warrior, 7 Protektorat, 8 Banbridge, 14 Djelo, El Fabiolo, Found A Fifty, 16 bar

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