Saint Sam makes no mistake with Clonmel Oil opportunity

Saint Sam made every step of the running to claim a comfortable victory in the Clonmel Oil Chase.

Willie Mullins’ seven-year-old was in good form throughout the summer, reverting to hurdles to win at Cork and then travelling over to Auteuil to take the Prix de l’Orleanais over two and a quarter miles.

He stepped up in trip and back into the chasing division at Clonmel, where he was the 6-4 favourite at Grade Two level under Paul Townend.

In a keen run he surged clear of the rest early on and stayed at the head of affairs, as victory never looked in doubt. The Joseph O’Brien-trained Solness briefly flattered, but it was Gordon Elliott’s Fil Dor who came closest to him, six and a half lengths back in second.

“He is a hardy bit of stuff, has his way of doing it and you’re a passenger on him, as much as anything,” said Townend.

“If you pull against him he ends up going faster and Brian Gleeson (racecourse presenter) summed it up well when he said “steered by…!

“I had a little look behind and was surprised he (Solness) was coming with me, but that doesn’t really affect my horse, as he is half-daft.

“In France the last day James Reveley (aboard runner-up Gallipoli) took me on very early in the race, but we were still going the same gallop. He is a big, strong horse so when he makes a mistake he just gallops away from it.

“He is so hard on himself, but there is fire in his belly and he is a great servant for those races.”