Willie Mullins' racing powerhouse demonstrated its formidable strength as Final Demand produced a breathtaking performance on his chasing debut at Navan, instantly establishing himself as a major contender for the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Flawless Fencing Debut
The former top novice hurdler made a spectacular transition to fences, dominating the competition by an impressive 13 lengths against Wingmen, who had also shown considerable promise over hurdles last season. The emphatic nature of this victory saw bookmakers immediately slash Final Demand's odds to just 6-4 for the Brown Advisory Novice Chase at the upcoming Cheltenham Festival.
Mullins, clearly delighted with his charge's performance, remarked on the horse's natural jumping ability. "He was just so natural, wasn't he?" the champion trainer observed. "Jumping down the back, taking fences in his stride. I got a little worried coming to the third-last that he was getting a little tired, but when Paul gave him a squeeze, he just started opening up again."
Strength in Depth for Mullins
This commanding performance served as a timely reminder of Mullins' formidable arsenal, even as rival trainer Dan Skelton enjoyed success at Cheltenham's November meeting. While Skelton celebrated Panic Attack's Gold Cup victory, Final Demand's display underlined that Mullins' team is only beginning to hit its stride as the season progresses towards the major spring festivals.
The manner of victory particularly impressed racing enthusiasts, with Final Demand demonstrating both jumping fluency and stamina that suggests he could develop into one of the season's leading novice chasers. His ability to quicken away from a credible opponent after the final fence marked this as a performance of genuine quality.
Alexei Shines at Cheltenham
Meanwhile, at Cheltenham's family-focused November meeting finale, Joe Tizzard's Alexei enhanced his growing reputation with an impressive victory in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle. The German-bred gelding accelerated six lengths clear of his rivals after the final flight, following up his recent Ascot success in style.
Tizzard expressed his delight while remaining cautious about future plans. "I thought this was the best I'd had him but this was a step up again," the trainer noted. "I'm just enjoying what he's doing at the moment. I haven't got a plan - the plan was these two races and that's where we're at."
Despite the trainer's modesty, Alexei's performance warranted a 40-1 quote for next year's Champion Hurdle The weekend's racing action provided compelling evidence that the jumps season is building momentum perfectly towards the festival season, with new stars emerging and established powers flexing their muscles as the winter campaign gathers pace.
