'Exciting' Blue Lord set to go down Champion Chase route after Leopardstown win

Blue Lord looks set to be trained for the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase after beating the two-milers at their own game in an impressive victory at Leopardstown on Tuesday.

Simon Munir and Isaac Souede's seven-year-old had scored over 2m4f at Clonmel on his reappearance and trainer Willie Mullins admitted he had marked that down as the horse's trip.

But he is now a best-priced 7-1 for the 2m championship at Cheltenham after routing his opponents in the Paddy's Rewards Club Chase on Tuesday, landing the third Grade 1 success of his career by an emphatic 11 lengths.

Blue Lord and Daryl Jacob following their Leopardstown triumphCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"He's very exciting," said Anthony Bromley, the owners' racing manager. "We thought he was going to be going over two and a half miles but he travelled well off a strong pace at Leopardstown. He saw it out well and he does stay further which helps."

Asked about future targets, Bromley said: "You'd think we'd be looking at a Champion Chase campaign at the moment but you'd always let Willie make the final decision. A lot will depend on his next run, which will be at two miles, and that will set the route map for Cheltenham and Punchestown.

"Willie also has Energumene, who we'll have to run into some time, but there's the Clarence House at Ascot as well as the Dublin Racing Festival."

Blue Lord finished third behind Edwardstone in the 2m Arkle Chase at Cheltenham last season, an effort sandwiched by top-level wins at Leopardstown and Punchestown.

But Bromley believes he is a better horse now and said: "He didn't have that many runs over hurdles then went novice chasing so he's quite lightly raced and he could well be improving.

"It certainly appears that way because he only beat Coeur Sublime a head at Punchestown in April but he beat him 14 or so lengths on Tuesday."

Bromley also believes that Blue Lord's defeat of experienced chasers in Tuesday's €125,000 contest underlines the strength of the novices from last season.

"It does appear that the novices from last season are a better bunch than they were thought to be at the time," he said. "They weren't really rated that highly but they're coming out and showing they're pretty good – look at Edwardstone, Galopin Des Champs and L'Homme Presse."

Blue Lord is among five winners from five runners that Mullins has trained for Munir and Souede in the last week, with Impaire Et Passe and El Fabiolo scoring just before Christmas and Dark Raven and Largy Hill in the days since.

Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (March 15, 2023)

William Hill: 4-5 Energumene, 11-4 Edwardstone, 7 Blue Lord, 16 Shishkin, 20 bar

Read about more big winners this Christmas:

'He'll learn an awful lot today' - Willie Mullins delighted with Facile Vega win

'It's been a struggle to get here' - Prichard revels in The Two Amigos success

'We knew we had Bravemansgame at his best'- Nicholls in King George dreamland

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