Romeo Coolio overtook Irish Panther in a thrilling race to the line to take victory in the Grade One Novice Chase feature race on the opening day of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival on Friday.
Ridden by Jack Kennedy and trained by Gordon Elliott, the 8/15 favourite stayed the stronger to win by half a length after two miles.
The winner had trailed by three lengths when the horses jumped the second last fence but produced a brilliant staying performance in the final stages to overhaul the leader.
July Flower came home third of the nine runners, with He’s Gorgeous fourth.
“He’s a very tough horse, very honest, jumps great,” Elliott said of Romeo Coolio when speaking to RTE after the race.
“The horse showed a great attitude.”
The six-year-old had already proved effective over the two-mile distance over hurdles last season, striking Grade One gold at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival before being placed in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham and at Aintree.
Each of his two starts over fences to date had come at two and a half miles, with an impressive chasing debut at Down Royal followed by a brilliant victory in the Drinmore Novice Chase.