2pt win Walk Away in the 4.00 Limerick at 4/1
WALK AWAY kept good company on his three visits to the racetrack last winter, chasing home the mighty Faugheen on his chasing debut at Punchestown in November, before before bumping into subsequent Grade 1 runner-up Easy Game and his stablemate Allaho, who was third in the Grade 1 RSA Chase in March, at Leopardstown in December.
Henry De Bromhead’s seven-year-old then placed third behind the aforementioned Allaho and subsequent Kim Muir scorer Milan Native at Fairyhouse in January, and he could have been a big player in the Northern Trust Novices’ Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March but for the interference of the British handicapper, who saw fit to add 12lbs to his Irish rating, most likely with the facile success of his stablemate A Plus Tard 12 months earlier still fresh in his mind.
Fourth behind subsequent RSA Chase scorer Champ and Stayers Hurdle hero Lisnagar Oscar (third) in the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree in April 2019, this will be the first time that Walk Away has competed over 3 miles over fences (under rules – won a 3m PTP), and he is undoubtedly open to significant improvement given his unexposed status both over this trip and in this discipline.
The promising son of Black Sam Bellamy has won when fresh previously, and he will only have to carry 10-7 with Rachael Blackmore on his back. The De Bromhead yard are still in fine form at present, and there’s a very good chance that this race has been the target for some time.
It’s easy to argue that mark of 136 looks lenient given both his Grade 1 novice hurdle form and his respectable novice chase form against Grade 1 opposition last winter, and he could easily blossom during his second season over fences for the reasons I have outlined above.
Naturally, it is of slight concern that Walk Away has displayed a tendency to make a mistake or two in his races thus far. However, I am sure that he will have done plenty of schooling in preparation for this contest, and he could take plenty of stopping if putting in a clear round.
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