This was a messy, attritional Savills, run at a crawl early and decided by who stayed calm, jumped well enough, and kept finding late. The stopwatch tells you plenty: 11.7s slow. This was not about brilliance — it was about resilience.
Race Shape & Ground Truth
- Very slow overall time
- Stop–start rhythm, plenty racing too keenly
- Race broke between 2 out and the run-in
- Errors, interference, and position mattered more than raw pace
It turned into a survival test, not a Gold Cup rehearsal in terms of tempo.
Winner: Affordale Fury (7/1)
RPR 169 | TS 145 | OR 157
This was no fluke.
- Made his own running
- Jumped right at times but kept his rhythm
- Crucially, reclaimed the lead approaching the last and found more
The big takeaway is the RPR 169 — that’s genuine Grade 1 staying-chase form. He wasn’t flashy, but he was tough, brave, and honest when others blinked.
Verdict: A proper Savills winner. Not a superstar, but a stayer you don’t get past easily in a dogfight.
2nd: I Am Maximus (50/1)
RPR 167 | TS 143 | OR 170
Massive run at a massive price.
- Held up stone last
- Came wide, stayed on powerfully
- Hampered at the last and still finished second
This was top-class staying form, full stop. The RPR backs it up completely. He was doing his best work late and arguably lost momentum at the wrong time.
Verdict: This screamed “stayer”. Not a fluke, not just a National horse — this was Grade 1 ability showing through.
3rd: Galopin Des Champs (6/5F)
RPR 166 | TS 142 | OR 176
Beaten favourite, but not disgraced.
- Raced prominently
- Took it up 2 out
- Didn’t quite see it out late
This was below his absolute peak, but context matters:
- Slow pace
- Messy race
- Tested for sharpness rather than class
He was still right there jumping the last.
Verdict: Not his race. Still the standard-setter, but this showed he’s not unbeatable when things get awkward.
4th–6th: Strong Depth, No Punch
Grangeclare West (33/1) – RPR 163
Stayed on well after trouble. Solid, honest run.
Monty’s Star (28/1) – RPR 161
Outpaced, then stayed on. Reliable stayer, lacks gears.
Fastorslow (9/2) – RPR 160
Never quite landed a blow but kept going. Fair, not great.
Disappointments & Incidents
Inothewayurthinkin (13/2)
Jumping never fluent, mistake 2 out, folded quickly. Something wasn’t right despite vet report.
Gerri Colombe (12/1)
Pulled up very early. A complete non-run.
Champ Kiely
Unfortunate fall — no conclusions.
Overall Verdict
- Form is solid but messy
- Winner earned it the hard way
- Several ran to a very high level without ever looking comfortable
- This does not reshuffle the chasing hierarchy — it adds depth, not dominance
Bottom line:
Affordale Fury won because he wanted it most. Galopin didn’t lose his crown, but this showed that in a scrappy, slow-run Grade 1, even the best can be dragged into the trenches.
TimeWise Chronicles 
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