'We had to take the top off the stick to measure him' - Windsor's Winter Million on cards for huge 150-1 Leopardstown winner

Towering Leopardstown beginners' chase winner Jeannot Lapin could be set to run at the inaugural Berkshire Winter Million meeting, with trainer Gearoid O'Loughlin considering a trip to Windsor.

A £3,000 purchase after three point-to-point runs, the Dominic Jones-owned chaser was a shock winner on day two of Leopardstown's Christmas festival, belying his 150-1 starting price to win by a cosy two and a half lengths on his debut in a race which holds a distinguished roll of honour, including Marine Nationale, Dysart Dynamo and Melon.

Standing at marginally over 18 hands (measured to the withers), the son of Doctor Dino is already in near unchartered territory for a thoroughbred and getting an accurate measure of his stature requires some creative thinking.

"We had to take the top off the stick to measure him because it only goes up to 17.3! He's a quarter of an inch over 18 hands," said O'Loughlin. "He's only just turned six and he would have been a hard three- or four-year-old to train because he's so big.

"He came out of Leopardstown great. I wasn't surprised he put up such a good showing, as I wouldn't be running to make up the numbers in a race like that. He had shown plenty of ability at home and was ready to put in a good run. 

"I originally bought him thinking he could be one for the maiden hunter chase over two mile and six furlongs at Limerick as he was qualified to run, and I thought he was too fast for three miles. He just jumps and travels so easily and Ricky [Doyle, jockey] said you could be even better if we went forward with him more in a better race."

Plans are fluid for the strapping chaser, with connections in no hurry given his size and inexperience. However, the Grade 2 Lightning Novices' Chase over two miles at Windsor on January 17 is a distinct possibility. 

Jeannot Lapin and Ricky Doyle following their Leopardstown winCredit: Patrick McCann

Windsor recently held its first jumps meeting in almost two decades, and teams up with Ascot as part of the Berkshire Winter Million Weekend for three consecutive days of action from January 17-19.

O'Loughlin added: "The plan was to go to Windsor for the Grade 2, which I thought might come a little bit soon, but he's been in real good order since Leopardstown. There are not many races for a horse like him. 

"Windsor is a tight track, but he's quite nimble and his jumping is very good. He's 50-50 to go to Windsor as he has the option of the Irish Arkle or the Flyingbolt too. There's no rush with him and we'll mind him."

How does Jeannot Lapin size up?

Here are some other examples of famous tall and small horses . . .

At 18 hands Jeannot Lapin is taller than the average British man (5ft 9in or 17.3 hands), but he does not quite match up to Original. The winner of the 2008 Wayward Lad Novices' Chase for French trainer Marcel Rolland was a huge 18.2 hands according to contemporary reports.

The bruising 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Denman was smaller than Jeannot Lapin at 17.2 hands, while legendary triple Grand National winner Red Rum made up 16.2 hands.

On the other end of the scale, Battleship, the 1938 Grand National winner, was not only notably small at 15.1 hands but was ridden by the notably tall 17-year-old, six-foot-plus future trainer Bruce Hobbs. 

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