BALLYOPTIC BACK ON TRACK
05 February 2018
The
Grade
2 Towton Novices’ Chase, the feature race at Weatherby on Saturday, was won by
BALLYOPTIC (IRE). The eight-year-old gelding jumped soundly and travelled well
over the three mile race under jockey Tom Bellamy and stayed on best in heavy
conditions to beat Vintage Clouds (IRE) by two and three quarter lengths.
A
son of the late Old Vic, BALLYOPTIC (IRE) was bred by Roger Ryan out of a half-sister
to the Grade 1 hurdler Storm Damage (IRE). He is a half-brother the Grade 2
winner Peoples Park (IRE) and comes from the family of the Gordon
Elliot-trained Tombstone (IRE).
BALLYOPTIC
(IRE) won a Grade 1 Novices’ hurdle at Aintree at six and a point-to-point at
Kirkistown at five for Ian Ferguson.