David Pipe and the Doyle siblings, Ellen and James, completed a rather unusual Monksgrange-Ascot double with the Listed victory of Israel Champ at Ascot on Friday.
The Milan gelding had won two of his three races entering into Isobel Championship Bumper, however following his Listed victory at Cheltenham last month, he was forced to lump top weight and defy a penalty in the heavy ground.
Sent off as an 8/1 shot, the four-year-old was always at the head of affairs alongside fellow Irish pointing recruit Kid Commando, before Tom Scudamore sent him on rounding the home bend.
Whilst the unbeaten two-time winning favourite, Soaring Glory, loomed in the straight, Israel Champ proved himself to be a very game individual by as he repelled that challenge to ultimately cross the line with a length and a half advantage to college his second Listed prize within the space of little over a month.
Notably, Israel Champ had won his four-year-old maiden at Monksgrange in March for Ellen Doyle, the same race which the Baltimore Stables team had won 12 months earlier with Eden Du Houx.
Like Israel Champ, he also joined David Pipe’s Pond House Stables, winning the same Listed Bumper at Ascot last year.
Israel Champ has been cut by all firms for the Grade 1 Cheltenham Champion Bumper market, where he is now the 12/1 favourite.
Super performance from Israel Champ under @tommyscu to win the listed bumper @Ascot giving 4 pounds to talented rivals #brightfuture pic.twitter.com/7f3eJDALri
— David Pipe (@DavidPipeRacing) December 20, 2019
