Road to the winner’s enclosure

TRADITIONALLY, a winter all-weather campaign wouldn’t have been an obvious route to Royal Hunt Cup victory, but that is the road Settle For Bay took before powering clear last year.

The David Marnane-trained gelding proved he was a rapidly improving sort when notching up a four-timer at Dundalk between November and January.

His final start before the royal meeting came in a 7f handicap at Leopardstown in the middle of May after a 107-day break, when he finished fourth, beaten three lengths by Zorion.

The son of Rio De La Plata stayed on a mark of 99 for the Royal Hunt Cup, giving him a handy weight of 9st 1lb.

Form, pages 35 and 38-43