Day 3 at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival was lit up by one of the premier staying chases of the winter months. Featuring the names of Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Best Mate, Denman, Synchronised, Bobs Worth, A Plus Tard, and Galopin Des Champs on the roll of honour, the Savills Chase is one of the highlights of the festive period.
Eleven went to post in 2025, including Galopin Des Champs, who sought a third win in the race, reigning Gold Cup king Inothewayurthinkin, and 2024 Aintree Grand National hero I Am Maximus. Despite those established star names, it was the comparatively unheralded Affordale Fury who came in for strong support in the market. Available at 33/1 on Saturday evening, the Noel Meade-trained runner was backed all the way down to 7/1 by the time the race got underway on Sunday afternoon. That money proved to be very well placed.
Fury Floors Rivals with Tenacious Effort
Taking the bull by the horns, Sam Ewing and Affordale Fury moved straight into a prominent position and held the overall lead by the third fence. Galopin Des Champs, 2024 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle winner Stellar Story, and Martin Brassil’s Grade 1 star Fastorslow were all in close attendance.
Affordale Fury continued to bowl along at his leisure, but challengers began to emerge on the turn for home. The signs were ominous for the long-time leader when Galopin Des Champs eased into the lead over the second last. However, the two-time champ couldn’t get away, and Affordale Fury would not lie down. Back in front over the last, the Philip Polly-owned runner toughed it out best of all to score by 2½ lengths from I Am Maximus, who stayed on past Galopin Des Champs to take second.
Gold Cup Odds Slashed
In a week where King George winner The Jukebox Man and Welsh Grand National hero Haiti Couleurs saw their Gold Cup odds shorten, Affordale Fury added his name to the list of contenders. Available at 50/1 before the race, he was as low as 10/1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Sunday evening.
Galopin Des Champs saw his seven-race unbeaten run over the Leopardstown fences come to an end. However, connections were happy with this display, considering a setback saw the star miss his intended comeback in the John Durkan Memorial Chase. The 2023 and 2024 Gold Cup winner was left unchanged by many firms at a general price of 6/1 for the 2026 edition.
The most underwhelming performance came from Inothewayurthinkin, who trailed home last of the nine finishers, fully 41¼l adrift of the winner. While disappointing, a pre-race drift from 2/1 to 13/2 suggested that this may not be the day to catch the Gavin Cromwell star at his peak. He retains Cheltenham Gold Cup joint-favouritism at a general price of 6/1.
Meade Joins Hourigan at the Top
This win saw veteran handler Noel Meade pick up a fifth Savills Chase win to join Michael Hourigan at the top of the all-time trainers’ table. Three of Hourigan’s wins were provided by the great Beef Or Salmon. Meade has impressively now won the race with five different horses, spanning a 30-year period, with Johnny Setaside (1995), Pandorama (2010), Road To Riches (2014), and Road To Respect (2017) preceding this latest success.
Reflecting on his first Grade 1 win since Beacon Edge landed the Drinmore Novice Chase in 2021, the 74-year-old outlined his pre-race optimism:
“Philip asked me what I thought before the race, and I told him that whatever happens today is him, because he cannot be any better than he is. He worked the sight out of our eyes the other day, so I knew he was in some nick.”
Super-sub Sam Strikes Again
This result continued what has been a spectacular meeting for Sam Ewing. Saturday afternoon saw the 22-year-old rider register a 12,662/1 treble, including 66/1 chance Favori De Champdou, and Solness, who upset Marine Nationale and Majborough in the Grade 1 Paddy Rewards Club Chase.
Having stepped in for the injured JJ Slevin to ride the Joseph O’Brien-trained Solness, Ewing once again benefited from the absence of a fellow rider. Donagh Meyler had ridden Affordale Fury in each of his past four outings but was suspended for this assignment. Bad timing for Meyler, who missed out on what could have been only the second Grade 1 win of his career.
Ewing was understandably delighted in the aftermath, while acknowledging Meyler’s misfortune:
“It’s absolutely unbelievable, the stuff of dreams. My heart goes out to Donagh Meyler. He is a great friend of mine, but that’s the cruel game we are in.”
For Affordale Fury, the next step towards Cheltenham may come at Punchestown and a rematch with Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup. A win in that February contest may see him move up a few more spots in the Gold Cup pecking order.