Leading Force

The Leading Light gelding Leading Force is already the winner of a point-to-point and a chase, and we believe there is plenty more to come from this shrewdly purchased eight-year-old.

By the Gr.1 St Leger and Gr.1 Ascot Gold Cup winner Leading Light, whose best performers include the ill-fated Gr.1 Mersey Novices’ Hurdle winner Three Stripe Life, Leading Force is closely related to the Listed-winning hurdler and Gr.3-placed chaser Robin Des Foret and the Gr.2-placed chaser Port Melon.

Initially running in Irish point-to-points, he gained plenty of experience before winning at Belclare in March 2022, easily beating the subsequent winner Whiskey For Jack by five lengths. Before long he was based with Sandy Thomson in Scotland, for whom he finished second in four consecutive maiden/novice hurdle events during the 2022/23 season.

Included amongst the horses he finished second to during that spell were Cruz Control, who has since won consecutive renewals of a 3m1f Premier Handicap Chase at the Aintree Grand National Meeting and is rated 143, and Endless Escape, who was competitive in Gr.2 company at the Cheltenham Festival immediately after beating Leading Force.

Clearly mixing it with some talented horses, Leading Force was sent over fences in February 2024 and only needed three starts to break his duck. 

Lining up in a 2m5f handicap chase at Sedgefield last May, he led for much of the journey and jumped with aplomb on his way to a five-length win from a mark of 107. The strength of the form is underlined by the fact that four of his eight rivals have gone on to win in the months since. It was a smashing performance and suggested that there would be plenty more to come.

However, despite finishing second from an adjusted mark of 112 at Market Rasen on his next start, Leading Force has struggled to regain peak form more recently. Previous connections went in search of various solutions, tinkering with his headgear and wind, but the upshot is that he now finds himself rated just 100 over hurdles and fences. These figures vastly underestimate what we know he is capable of. 

Versatile in regards to distance and underfoot conditions and with plenty of racing left in him, we are confident that Leading Force can be coaxed back to his best and take advantage of his lenient handicap rating in the near future.