16:35 and that’s it from Aintree, where it has now stopped raining.
16:30 This corresponding race last year went to 50/1 shot Silly Wupple, however there was no such upset this afternoon when the well backed favourite Cloudy Times took the race by ¾ of a length, but was made to work for the victory by the long time leader Fabalu and it was only in the final 100 yards that the favourite managed to get his head out in front.
The pair conducted their private battle well ahead of the remainder who were headed by a rallying Paddy’s Honour.
16:13 News on Lucy Horner, she has been taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg.
16:06 A weather update - there is a big hailstorm at the moment.
15:55 Some people are just getting greedy. Not content with winning the Old Roan the jockey / trainer / owner combination of Paddy Brennan / Nigel Twistan-Davies / Raymond Mould took the final chase of the afternoon as Tramantano won the race with some comfort from the long time leader Brave Villa.
Brennan rode a patient race not making a move to track the leader four out and taking the lead at the second last. Once in the lead the race was effectively over as a contest .
Favourite Medicinal ran on to take third place from Some Touch who had been prominent throughout.
The cross-fence was omitted on the second circuit as medics attended to Lucy Horneeer who took a crashing fall from Tom’s Toybox.
15:25 A cracking renewal of the Old Roan for the afternoons feature race.
Last years winner Monet’s Garden was to the fore for most of the race but ultimately seemed to get beaten by the testing conditions.
Voy Por Ustedes was another with the pace but the weight concession to his rivals seemed to be his beating .
Three out it was a very open race with Knowhere, Exotic Dancer, Snoopy Loopy, Voy Por Ustedes and Oslot all in with a chance approaching two out.
Oslot was indeed very eye catching two out and looked to be a likely winner but the Galway Plate winner actually flattered to deceive.
At the last it was looking like a two horse race with old favourite Exotic Dancer battling things out with Knowhere.
Had the race been at level weights Exotic Dancer would have won the race with ease, but being a handicap Jonjo O’Neil’s runner was conceding eighteen pounds to the Twiston-Davies runner and it was too much weight to give away.
Third place Snoopy Loopy was impressive running on into third place after making some mistakes earlier in the race.
Trainer Alan King was pleased with the performance of Voy Por Ustedes who still looks to be destined for teh King George. "I was pleased. He just took a bit of a blow going to the ditch and banked the second last which didn't help but he will almost definitely be targeted at the King George. That could be his next run,"
14:59 Some news from France - Yeats has taken the French St Leger, the Prix Royal Oak, at Longchamp
14:52 Not the sort of race one really wanted to see.
The field set off at a very slow pace, eventually it was Fushe Jo who took them along. He was tracked by the very short priced favourite Pierrot Lunaire and the second favourite Squadron.
The two outsiders went round at their own pace.
The principles were upside in the lead as they progressed down the far side. Turning for home it was Squadron who edged in front. Robert Thornton had Alan King’s charge in front approaching the last when the favourite dived at the last flight taking a crashing fall.
It has to be said the favourite was probably beaten at the time but it would have been preferable to seen the top two fight out the finish.
Pierrot Lunaire was on the ground for some time but did eventually get up and walk away to fight another day.
14:35 An unbackable favourite in our next with Paul Nicholls bright prospect Pierrot Lunaire trading at 4/9.
14:20 A five runner novice chase over 2 ½ miles next and a race not without incident.
Kicks For Free was sent off the odds-on favourite and, in all honesty won in the manner of an odds-on shot.
Special envoy set the early pace, tracked by the favourite and Bedlam Boy with Charlie Crab and Coq Hardi tracking those two.
Charlie Crab was the first to drop after failing to take off at the seventh and literally walking over the top leaving jockey Keith Mercer on the takeoff side of the fence.
Bedlam Boy then took up the running until falling late on. The favourite was happy to hunt round before running on two out and increased his lead with every stride, eventually winning by 19 lengths from Coq Hardi.
13:58 The second race provided proof, as if it were needed, that the going is definitely draining.
Lysander, who had been settled mid-division for most of the race, joined the leaders half way down the back straight before running on turning for home.
Approaching the second last she had a twenty length lead but the way the gelding clouted the second last illustrated he was starting to tire. Again cracking the last the leader was noticeably slowing on the run in and instead of the comfortable win expected two out he only just held on from the late challenge of Major Malarkey.
It has to be said the finish did not look that edifying.
As well as Major Malarkey the third and fourth Leac An Schall and Archimboldy were all running on well at the end.
None of the front runners featured at the finish.
Rider of teh winner Michael Murphy picked up a nine day ban for whip abuse.
13:07 A nice 2½ mile novice hurdle to get us under way and although we have a new season it is business as usual as a Nicholls / Walsh combo takes the race with ease.
Massasoit was settled mid-division before tracking the leaders turning for home. Three out he was the only challenger to the short priced favourite On Raglan Road and the Nicholls runner was still in the lead running on with good speed to win as he pleased, with the final margin of victory being eight lengths.
The favourite, who probably needs a greater test of stamina, held on for second somne 23 lengths ahead of third placed Copper Bleu.
Long time leader Knockara Bleu faded, with the distance seemingly too far for him.
A nice little novice event and the first two will not be strangers to the winners enclosure as the season progresses.
12:40 Well guess what? The sun is out at last, it is still rather nippy though.
11:55 A big change to the going from yesterday, today's going is Soft on the chase course and Soft, heavy in places on the hurdle course
There are currently seven non-runners although it will be no surprise to see that number increase as the afternoon progresses.
The weather is overcast with some mizzle in the air.
Return to race archive: |
Non-Runners
1:00
3 American World (Vets cert)
15 Robbie Dye (heat in leg)
1:35
6 Balamory Dan (going)
7 Character Building (going)
8 Oberon Moon (going)
21 Markington
4:25
1 Shiwana
5 Le Platino (going)
16 The Portonion (going)
Results
1:00
1st 13 Massasoit 6/1
2nd 1 On Raglan Road 11/10 fav
3rd 7 Copper Bleu 5/1
15 Ran NR's 3 & 15
Favourite winner
Distances 8L & 23L
Tote
Win £8.60
Place £2.30 £1.40 £2.20
Exacta £16.50
CSF £12.91
Time 5' 10.5"
1:35
1st 22 Lysander 6/1
2nd 19 Major Malarkey 13/2
3rd 5 Leac An Scail 14/1
4th20 Arcimboldo 18/1
18 Ran NR's 6 , 7 , 8 & 21
Fav No 3 Orion D'Oudaires 5/1 (Upl)
Distances 1 3/4L , 4L & 2 1/2L
Tote
Win £7.20
Place £1.90 £2.40 £4.10 £4.00
Exacta £49.00
CSF £42.89
Tricast £533.85
Time 6' 45.2"
2:10
1st 4 Kicks For Free 4/6 fav
2nd 3 Coc Hardi 8/1
5 Ran
Fav winner
Distance 19L
Tote
Win £1.60
Place £1.20 £2.40
Exacta £3.70
CSF £6.37
Time 5' 29.6"
2:40
1st 2 Squadron 5/2
2nd 3 Fushe Jo 20/1
5 Ran
Fav 1 Pierrot Lunaire 2/5 (Fell)
Distances 18L
Tote
Win £3.00
Place £1.10 £4.30
Exacta £19.80
CSF
£19.40
Time 4' 27.2"
3:15
1st 8 Knowhere 8/1
2nd 2 Exotic Dancer 8/1
3rd 7 Snoopy Loopy 12/1
12 Ran
Favourite 6 Oslot 11/4 (6th)
Distances 1l & 2 1/2L
Tote
Win £10.60
Place £3.20 £2.50 £2.90
Exacta £59.30
CSF £69.21
Tricast £776.54
Time 5' 19.5"
3:50
1st 7 Tramantiano 4/1
2nd 11 Brave Villa 12/1
3rd 2 Medicinal 7/2 fav
11 Ran
Favourite third
Distances 2 3/4L & 5L
Tote
Win £4.50
Place £1.90 £4.60 £2.20
Exacta £54.30
CSF £52.51
Tricast £188.73
Time 4' 16.1"
4:25
1st 4 Cloudy Times 9/4 fav
2nd 9 Fabalu 25/1
3rd 14 Paddy's Honour 28/1
13 Ran NR's 1 , 5 & 16
Favourite winner
Distances 3/4L & 6L
Tote
Win £3.40
Place £1.60 £4.70 £3.30
Exacta £108.90
CSF £70.64
Time
|
