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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.<\/b><\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
July Flower came home third of the nine runners, with He’s Gorgeous fourth.<\/p>\n
“He’s a very tough horse, very honest, jumps great,” Elliott said of Romeo Coolio when speaking to RTE after the race.<\/p>\n
“The horse showed a great attitude.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n