Ballyburn takes Ashley Banks to the top of the Tote Ten to Follow leaderboard

The weekend headlines rightly belonged to Galopin Des Champs and State Man, but for the Ten to Follow team of Ashley Banks it is the Grade 1 novice chase victory of Ballyburn that will burn bright in the memory as it took the outfit to the head of the leaderboard.

The success yielded only 27.72 points but they are points that previous leader Cathys Clowns did not collect, having Ballyburn’s rival Impaire Et Passe in what had been their main team.

However, 63.6% of squads did include Ballyburn, who was the fourth most popular horse at the outset of the competition. That means the top five picks – Jonbon (73.2%), Constitution Hill (69.1%), State Man (64.1%), Ballyburn and Galopin Des Champs (61.3%), have all collected Grade 1 events on their latest outings. 

That list’s sixth, seventh and eighth – Gaelic Warrior (57.3%), Lossiemouth (50.6%) and Fact To File (49.4%) – fluffed their lines at the weekend and the chance to reshape the leaderboard.

Instead of Gaelic Warrior it was Solness who landed the Dublin Chase to collect 33.20 points that took him into third on the list of leading horses but to the benefit of precisely no Ten to Follow players. That is hardly surprising as early season victories at Listowel and Sligo would hardly have been enough to recommend Joseph O’Brien’s charge.

Moving into fifth on the list of top horses is Handstands after scoring 23.10 points in Sandown’s Scilly Isles Chase. Again, the success is of limited benefit to players, with Ben Pauling’s improver figuring in 0.1% of teams.

Hovering outside the top ten is Perceval Legallois, who picked up 25.40 points in the 3m handicap hurdle at Leopardstown, and two novices likely to play a big part in major events over the rest of the season, Kopek Des Bordes and Majborough.

Arkle hope Majborough scored 27.83 points for 9.3% of teams, while the 2.1% of players who selected Kopek Des Bordes at the game’s outset will be congratulating themselves after he notched 27.90 points as he galloped to the head of the market for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham next month.

LATEST STANDINGS

LEADING HORSES
1 Galopin Des Champs 61.3% 106.66 points
2 Jonbon 73.2% 100.78
3 Solness 0% 95.00
4 Croke Park 0.1% 81.90
5 Handstands 0.1% 77.54
6 The Yellow Clay 0.5% 70.15
7 Home By The Lee 0.2% 61.78
8 Banbridge 6.3% 60.50
9 Brighterdaysahead 16.8% 59.45
10 Royale Pagaille 2.2% 55.95

LEADING TEAMS
1 Ashley Banks 21 565.23 points
2 Famous Five 5 564.18
3 Chloe 2 561.71
4 MyCatChip 20 559.20
5 MOS72 555.31
6 Chloe 4 550.01
7 MyDogBambi 14 548.23
8 Remember Alderbrook 548.06
9 Pedroswinners 546.51
10 B3 546.01

LEADER'S STABLE – Ashley Banks 21 565.23 points
Galopin Des Champs 106.66 points
Jonbon 100.78
Banbridge 60.50
Royale Pagaille 55.95
State Man 54.65
Sir Gino 49.92
Constitution Hill 49.04
Fact To File 45.30
Ballyburn 39.93
Gaelic Warrior 2.50

Read more . . .

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