Racing: Fists confirmed a National Hunt Chase runner

Racing: Fists confirmed a National Hunt Chase runner
by Elliot Slater

Thursday, February 02, 2012

Charles Byrnes, trainer of the talented Fists of Fury, has signalled his intention to run the progressive chaser at the Cheltenham Festival on March 14th in the Diamond Jubilee National Hunt Chase, writes Elliot Slater.

The gelded son of Beneficial will surely be one of the classiest acts in the line-up for the longest race of the four-day sporting extravaganza, but Byrnes has few stamina doubts about the Gigginstown House Stud-owned first-season chaser seeing out the marathon trip of four-miles, having said for some time that his charge needs an extreme trip to bring out the best in him. Anyone looking ahead to BetFair Cheltenham 2012 will be wondering if he can go the distance.

A very useful novice hurdler last term, Fists of Fury was twice placed in graded company in the first half of the season before running with tremendous credit on his first trip to England at the Aintree Festival last April when finishing a sound fourth to Saint Are in the Grade 1 John Smith´s Sefton Novices over three-miles-one-furlong.

Turning his attention to novice chasing this season, Byrnes´ charge ran respectable races without getting his head in front on his first two outings on home soil before being sent over to Wetherby in November where he responded well to the McCoy drive to see off Battle Group by two-and-three-quarter-lengths to break his duck over the larger obstacles.

A series of mistakes on his next start at Cheltenham saw Fists of Fury perform below expectations at the December meeting, but he put up a significantly improved display at Leopardstown in late-January when a brave half-length second to Sir Des Champs in Grade 2 company over two-miles-five-furlongs, a trip well short of his best. 14/1 in the horse race betting for the National Hunt Chase, Fists of Fury looks a serious contender if he can put in a clear round at the tricky Prestbury circuit.