Chally grabs second chance in Irish Cesarewitch

Last year’s luckless runner-up Chally Chute went one better than 12 months ago in the Friends Of The Curragh Irish Cesarewitch.

Ross O’Sullivan’s charge was beaten a diminishing half a length by Puturhandstogether in the 2025 renewal of the €500,000 feature after encountering trouble in running, after which he rounded off his campaign with a Group Three win in the Loughbrown Stakes.

Following a couple of defeats in Listed events so far this season, the eight-year-old was burdened with top-weight on his return to handicap company, but showed his class with a determined display under 5lb claimer Sam Coen.

Galileo Dame – one of 14 runners in the 30-strong field for Joseph O’Brien – held the advantage entering the final furlong of two-mile-one-furlong marathon, but she was reeled in late by both Chally Chute and the strong-finishing Sirius, with the former this time passing the post half a length in front.

O’Sullivan said: “You don’t often get a second bite of the cherry and with the rain coming, as Julie (White, owner) said, it was meant to be.

“He won a Listed race last year and came here after. This year, we went to the Listed race and were probably unlucky not to win. Nearly out of a panic, two weeks later we went for another Listed race in Roscommon and he finished fifth. The bright side of that result was that he was dropped 3lb which allowed him back into this race.

“He came into this race with a little bit more weight than last year. Obviously all week you are a little bit nervous with the ground and then the heavens open last night and this morning and he gets the ground that he is best on.

“It’s great that it all worked out. We came so close last year and we thought that was our one and only chance. For it to happen, it’s magic.”

Considering the next plan of attack, the trainer added: “He’s in the Prix du Cadran next week but it’ll probably be too soon, but he is in another race in Saint Cloud. We’ll see what Julie wants to do, whether she wants to roll the dice for France.

“He’s a creature of habit and loves his routine, so I’m not sure how he’d take to it. The Curragh might be the place for him.”