PART I
DIARY – AINTREE FESTIVAL
GRAND NATIONAL DAY
SATURDAY 05 APRIL 2014
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Winner of the Grade 1 Maghull Novices’ Chase, Balder Succes ridden by Wayne Hutchinson It was a second restless
night at the Premier Inn. There was absolutely
nothing wrong with the accommodation, I just couldn’t settle. I had taken my alarm clock with me, as in
previous years, but did not set it; I felt under no pressure this year as
regards timing my arrival at the racecourse.
I awoke, for the final time,
at 06:20 today, showered, washed and dried my hair before applying
moisturiser and dressing casually in blue jeggings,
one of my thermal t-shirts and big blue cardigan to go to breakfast at 07:15.
The restaurant was almost
deserted, just a family group in one of the window alcoves. I was given the choice of table today, so I
sat on a 4-person table beside one of the windows overlooking the car
park. I ordered an egg omelette,
mushrooms and three rashers of bacon, before heading to the nearby ‘spread’ to see what other food was
available whilst I waited. I was very disappointed that
there were no yoghurts today; it is my favourite part of this early morning
meal. I had to settle for Weetabix and a sprinkling of fruit, plus a glass of apple
juice. Having polished this off, my
cooked breakfast then arrived and was soon consumed. I returned to my hotel room at 07:40, which
left over 90 minutes for me to prepare for the day ahead. Glancing up at the outside of the Premier
Inn itself, I was able to ascertain that my room was one of the larger
central ones, like last year’s room; however this year there was no small
divan bed to fill the extra space. I applied my make-up, and
dressed in today’s outfit. This was three thermal t-shirts – dark rose, purple
and pink – black peplum cardigan, bright purple fleece, black gillet, and black summer skirt with beige roses print. I
couldn’t decide which tights to wear, the black ones seemed to show every
minute catch as I put them on, so I changed into a patterned pair, black with
hearts … before deciding these made my legs look fat … so I finally decided
upon a purple pair! No change there
then!!! |
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M & S
skirt |
Black M
& S peplum cardigan |
Thermal
T-shirts (pink,
purple, dark rose) |
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Bargain BHS
coat |
Black
Clarks shoes, right |
Scarf purchased at the Lambourn Open Day 2011; second from the right |
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I would wear my
black coat as they had forecast rain showers throughout the day; it was pretty
damp outside this morning, although not currently raining. My footwear would be decided upon when I
arrived at the racecourse – burgundy ankle boots or beloved black Clark’s
moccasin wedges; in the event I chose the latter. It was then time to
pack up all my belongings. Just time
for a final check to make sure I’d not forgotten anything before I loaded up
this yours truly Sherpa and headed downstairs with my suitcase, three bags
and handbag. It was a struggle to get
through the fire doors – one in the first floor corridor, one to enter and
one to exit the stairwell, another to enter the reception area. I handed in my key to the guy on duty,
before heading out to my car. Having loaded up the vehicle, I
set off at 09:20 for the racecourse.
The route is just so easy; as the hotel is situated on an industrial
estate alongside the A580; just to the east of the M6 and close to Haydock
Park. The dual carriageway is as
straight as a Roman road, with a 60 mph speed limit in the main; two
roundabouts; the remainder of the junctions having traffic lights which,
typically, I seemed to encounter on red in almost every case! There was a small section of
road-works approaching the M57, but these did not encroach on the junction
itself. Having joined the motorway, I
headed north to its termination point, followed by a left turn into the
Ormskirk Road, past the Asda store on my left, under the railway bridge to
join the back of the queue of traffic at the next junction. Punters with badges to park in the
centre course Steeplechase car park turn left into Aintree Lane, then bear
around to the right to negotiate a number of speed bumps before reaching the
Anchor Bridge entrance on the right.
Along the route, the local scouts were advertising parking in an area
beside their hut to raise money for their troop. Today, there was a car holding
up proceedings whilst the driver discussed something with one of the
stewards. This meant that, having
pulled into the central reservation, I couldn’t cross the road for a few
minutes and traffic built up in a queue behind me, tailing back along Aintree
Lane. After waiting a few moments, the
driver ahead of me decided to join the short queue, thus blocking the road
for the oncoming traffic; as a result, they had to negotiate a ‘chicane’ to get through. It was also my lucky day, as an
impatient maniac sports car driver decided to overtake the waiting queue on
the wrong side of the road at speed, Vrrrrrroooooooooom,
from the rear of the queue which had formed behind me. I’d rather not think about what would have
happened if, at that moment, the entrance over Anchor Bridge had cleared and
I’d decided to cross the oncoming lane which was clear of traffic at that
moment in time. Albeit to say, my car
would have been trashed if he’d hit me side on, as would I have been
too. A trip to the local hospital in
an ambulance would not have been my idea of a good Grand National day. Even the stewards at the entrance looked
incredulous as the driver sped past on the wrong side of the road. There are some dickheads out there on the
roads. Having been asked to show
both my car parking badge and my ticket on the two previous days, I had them
ready on this occasion; the ‘Job’s
Worth’ steward from Thursday and Friday had moved further up the bridge
(he was annoying), so a different one
checked the items today and let me through to drive over the canal; I chose
to drive along the right-hand lane and got a little too far along the lane
for them to re-direct me into the enclosed camping area on the left. My parking docket number today was 82, my
Earl of Derby Terrace badge No.1 again. Having arrived at the
security check area, once again I was requested to open both the boot and the
bonnet of the car so they could look inside.
And today’s security guard actually believed me when I told him the
bonnet wouldn’t open at present.
Having been ‘cleared through
customs’ so to speak, I was directed along the roadway to park on the
grass area beyond; I was further back than on the previous two days, many
visitors had arrived early today and I’d already noticed that a fairly
lengthy queue had formed tailing back around the corner of the large hut-like
building close to the entrance. Having put on my shoes and
coat I headed across the damp grass to reach the driveway and walk the short
distance to the entrance; an umbrella was also required at this point in
time. Today, on my way to join the
queue, I purchased a race-card from the kiosk situated beside the driveway;
cost £5. Having reached the head of
the queue, my ticket was scanned and my handbag searched; a different member
of the security staff carried this out today.
However, for the third day running, I was body scanned by the same
older guy; he asked me if I’d be back next year. ‘Hopefully’, I
replied. I crossed the Melling Road and set off across the turf and all-weather
gallop to reach a bus which was waiting to take both spectators and workers
to the grandstands’ side of the racecourse.
Soon the bus was full and we
set off in a clockwise direction along the roadway to the inside of the park
course. It is the road used by the
emergency vehicles during the races.
Having alighted at the far side, I walked across the green carpet to
reach the betting ring. I realised
that the inward course-crossing point had been moved three or four yards to
the left since yesterday, thus helping to protect the grass by spreading the
footfall over the duration of the fixture.
The outward course-crossing point was situated to the winning-post
side, and used by those people wishing to walk the Grand National course or
visit Red Rum’s grave; I’ve done the former twice (in 2009 and 2012), but
never visited the latter. As always, the first task of
the day was to visit the loo ... as I didn’t want to miss any of the action
later in the afternoon. As everywhere
was still damp, initially I set off to the steppings
below the Weighing Room, but didn’t stay long as I couldn’t put my bag on the
ground or lean against the wooden safety rails. So I went to the course-side rails for a
while, to my usual spot beside the walkway entrance. The Military Wives choir were standing
within the pulling-up area and rehearsing the National Anthem. Simon Claisse,
Clerk of the Course at Cheltenham, had been walking the course today
too. However, the weather turned
for the worse soon after, so I headed for the shelter of the area beneath the
stairway which leads up to the Earl of Derby seating. As happens on all Grand National days
before racing, there is a Parade of Champions when all the surviving winners
of the big race are led around the Paddock; fortunately by this time the rain
had stopped. I headed to the side of
the Parade Ring to see the horses and to take photographs. The parade was led by Lord Gyllene, winner of the 1997 event and 26-years-old
now. Also making an appearance today
were Red Marauder (2001), Bindaree (2002), Monty’s
Pass (2003), Amberleigh House (2004), Hedgehunter (2005), Numbersixvalverde
(2006), Silver Birch (2007), Comply Or Die (2008), Mon Mome
(2009), Don’t Push It (2010), Ballabriggs (2011),
and Neptune Collonges (2012). Unable to make the trip were the oldest
currently surviving winner, Rough Quest (1996) aged 28, Papillon
(2000) aged 25 and last year’s winner Auroras Encore who is still recovering
from a career-ending injury sustained at Doncaster in January. With the race sponsors having
changed from John Smith to Crabbies this year,
there was a noticeable lack of pre-races entertainment. Just a sole Hall of Fame inductee, but more
about that later, and no Aintree Legends Charity race either when ex-jockeys
used to compete in a flat race prior to the start of the proper race
programme. This being the case, I
returned to the course-side rails in order to reserve my favourite spot
before anyone else got there first! I
was there in time to see the previous Grand National winners led up the
course in front of the grandstands too ... however, Numbersixvalverde was a little late in arriving and was
thus heading in the opposite direction as the others returned! Eventually it was time for
the first race of the day. Choc had a
ride in this event, Wilde Blue Yonder, who was the 11-2 joint second
favourite with Oscar Hoof; the Alan King runner trying the 2 mile 4 furlong
trip for the first time. The favourite
was Lac Fontana winner of this season’s County Hurdle; trained by Paul
Nicholls, AP McCoy took the ride today as Daryl Jacob had been injured due to
a freak accident at Cheltenham. The starting gate for this race was
located midway down the back straight, with two flights to negotiate before
the far turn. The runners having gone to the start,
there was a minute’s applause in support of the Hillsborough 96
campaign. I presume this occurred
after the runners had reached the starting gate so as not to scare any of the
horses.
The
runners circled the ‘island’ of
rail dividing the hurdle and chase courses ahead of the race. Monkey Kingdom seemed a little reluctant to
start having placed himself to the outside of this rail whilst the others
continued walking clockwise around it.
The Assistant Starter led him in initially and he rejoined the others
as they jogged towards the tape. Then
they were off, passing to the outside of the first flight in the back straight
before heading through the starting gate and towards their first
obstacle. The gathered spectators
cheered ... but it was a feebler effort than is heard at Cheltenham! Monkey
Kingdom led narrowly from Splash Of Ginge and the
blinkered Kayf Moss to his inside. Choc took a centre line aboard the keen
Wilde Blue Yonder in mid-field, and Kilcooley
against the rails brought up the rear.
The runners crossed the pathway and cleared the second flight without
incident before heading into the far turn, still led by Monkey Kingdom; Sea
Lord now brought up the rear. The
horses travelled along the short stretch of track at the far end of the
course and then turned into the home straight on the first occasion. Monkey Kingdom led from Splash Of Ginge, Kayf Moss, Dell’ Arca, Volnay De Thaix, Oscar Hoof, Wilde Blue Yonder, Lac Fontana, Un
Ace, Kilcooley, the hurdling debutant No No Romeo and Sea Lord.
Clearing the third hurdle, both Kayf Moss
and Sea Lord were a little untidy. Jumping
the fourth flight, Lac Fontana was baulked slightly by Volnay
De Thaix ahead of him; after the flight AP steered
his mount to the nearside and encouraged him to overtake Richard Johnson’s
mount in order to get a clear look at the fifth flight. There were no incidents here. The runners headed down past the
grandstands and the winning post, now with one circuit to go. Monkey Kingdom continued to lead the field
and held a two lengths advantage over his nearest pursuers. The
runners galloped the short distance past the hospitality boxes and entered
the back straight; No No Romeo was now at the rear
of the field. The pace increased as
they headed to and cleared the first flight therein. Jamie Moore’s mount continued to lead, from
Splash Of Ginge, Dell’ Arca,
Lac Fontana, Oscar Hoof and Kayf Moss; Wilde Blue
Yonder was next in the field, from Volnay De Thaix, Un Ace, Sea Lord, Kilcooley
and No No Romeo.
Choc’s mount tipped the top of the next, but
it didn’t affect his momentum. They
crossed the pathway and headed to the next flight, which they cleared without
incident; Kayf Moss had now dropped to the rear of
the field and was being ridden along.
The runners headed into the final turn, Monkey Kingdom still led but
by only half a length; it was at this point that Wilde Blue Yonder got
slightly squeezed for room between Dell’ Arca and
Lac Fontana. (Oi,
you lot, leave my Choc alone!) Travelling
around the turn, the long-time leader was soon swallowed up as first Splash
of Ginge, then Lac Fontana, Dell’ Arca, Oscar Hoof, Wilde Blue Yonder, Volnay
De Thaix and Sea Lord all passed by him. The
field entered the home straight and headed to the third last flight, Splash
Of Ginge held a narrow advantage over this. To the inside, Oscar Hoof tipped the top
and couldn’t get his landing gear out in time, giving Barry Geraghty a fall.
The jockey was soon on his feet, holding on to the horse’s reins
waiting for him to rise. The
leading group of six headed down to the penultimate flight; Sam Twiston-Davies still holding onto his advantage over Lac
Fontana. Wilde Blue Yonder was in
third, from Dell’ Arca, Volnay
De Thaix and Sea Lord; Richard Johnson’s mount was
a little awkward here. They cleared
this and galloped to the last; and still Splash Of Ginge
remained ahead as they jumped it.
Wilde Blue Yonder made a small error here; after all, it was the
last! However,
Lac Fontana under a strong drive from AP McCoy gradually wore down the
leader’s advantage and went on to win by 1½ lengths
at the line. Tom Scudamore
and Choc battled it out for 3rd place, and they did close down the leaders as
they approached the winning post; Dell’ Arca
claimed it by half a length, and he was half a length behind Splash Of Ginge too. Volnay De Thaix finished 5th
and Sea Lord 6th. Sam
is so sporting; he shook hands with AP having pulled up after the line. Oscar Hoof was fine following his fall; he
was just winded and, once he was up on his feet, he was led back to the
stables.
Despite
Choc having finished 4th in this race, I decided not to return to the
Winners’ Enclosure, as I was frightened of losing my vantage point ahead of
the big race, even at this stage of the day!
The same had happened at Cheltenham on Gold Cup Day when I’d stayed at
the course-side rails despite Choc having finished 3rd in the County Hurdle
aboard Montbazon.
Although it must be stressed that if he’d been the winner on either
occasion I would have definitely gone back to see him and to take
photographs. NEWS FROM
THE STEWARDS’ ROOM FOLLOWING THE RACE: The Stewards noted
that the winner, LAC FONTANA (FR), and DELL’ ARCA (IRE) placed third, had
both interfered with WILDE BLUE YONDER (IRE), placed fourth, on the bend
leaving the back straight but after viewing a recording of the incident they
were satisfied that it neither involved a riding offence nor improved either
LAC FONTANA (FR)’s or DELL’ ARCA (IRE)’s placing. WHY THEY RAN BADLY The Veterinary Officer
reported that the gelding UN ACE (FR), which was pulled up, trained by Kim
Bailey, had bled from the nose. The Stewards ordered UN ACE (FR) to be
routine tested. The favourite
for the next race was Irish raider, Trifolium,
trained by Charles Byrnes and ridden by AP McCoy; priced 11-4. The Alan King representative, Balder
Success, ridden by Wayne Hutchinson was the second favourite at 7-2. The horse wasn’t entered at the Cheltenham
Festival; he was being saved for this race and also a race at the Punchestown Festival on 01 May. Three of the seven runners were trained in
Ireland. The starting
gate for the second race was in the far corner of the track; the cross fence
being the first obstacle.
Then
they were off. The field was led away
by Next Sensation, who likes to front run.
He was followed by Trifolium, to the outside
Moscow Mannon who pecked slightly on landing over
the cross-fence, and between these Balder Succes. Hinterland travelled in fifth position,
followed by Ted Veale and Simply Ned. Having
cleared the first fence, the runners headed around the turn and into the home
straight on the first occasion. There
were no mishaps at the next, although Balder Succes
got a little close to it, after which the field headed to the first
open-ditch. At this stage, Hinterland
was fighting for his head under Noel Fehily. All of the runners cleared this well and
then travelled across the Grand National course, between the final fence and
the Chair to reach fence number four on the Park course. Next
Sensation put in a good leap at this fence and led the field down past the
grandstands, past the winning post and out into the country for the one and
only time. The horses were travelling
well within themselves and the leader held just a length and a half’s
advantage over his nearest rival, Trifolium. Entering the back straight, both AP’s mount
and Ted Veale got a little close to the first fence therein. Tom
Scudamore’s mount continued to lead as they cleared
the next; there were no jumping errors here.
The following fence was the open-ditch. Ted Veale was a little slow here having jumped
out to his right. The field headed
across the pathway and towards the final fence in the back straight. The leader was a little low at this one,
having reached for the fence, but he continued to hold the advantage as they
headed into the far turn. In second
position was Trifolium, from Balder Success and
Simply Ned. There was then a break in
the field of two lengths to Moscow Mannon and
Hinterland. Outpaced, Ted Veale was
detached in rear. Approaching
the cross-fence, Trifolium drew alongside the
leader. However, he made an error here
which delayed his challenge initially.
The runners entered the home straight and faced up to the third last;
AP’s mount jumped the fence almost upsides Next Sensation. But, to the outside of this pair, Balder Succes was now just half a length down, and Simply Ned
close up too to their inside. In fifth
position, Moscow Mannon made a very bad error,
which permitted the under pressure Hinterland to draw alongside him. Heading
to the penultimate fence, Balder Succes cruised up
alongside the leading duo and he and Trifolium went
on. Wayne’s mount put in the better
jump here, as the Irish raider was a little awkward and lost time in the air;
the Alan King runner moved into the lead on the run to the final fence, with
both Trifolium and Simply Ned under strong pressure
to close the gap. However,
it was sealed at the last when Balder Succes put in
an almighty leap; he reached for the fence, cleared it with ease and landed
running. Having gained ground in the
air he was quickly away from the obstacle, and stretched away from his
pursuer to win by 4 lengths at the line; his jockey saluting with his whip as
he passed the winning post. Simply Ned
won the battle with Trifolium for 2nd, and Moscow Mannon stayed on to pip Next Sensation by a head for
4th. Wayne
was absolutely thrilled to have won and, having pulled up, he patted his
mount a number of times and gave him a brief hug too! He also shook his fist in delight. Not surprisingly the horse’s lad Steve
Ayres was delighted with his charge too, hugging the horse as he greeted him
before being led back. Alan King said
he was very proud of his horse when interviewed by RUK. Following
the race, Balder Succes was installed at a best
price of 20-1 for next season’s Queen Mother Champion Chase. RUK’s pundits believed he was now at the
top of this year’s tree of novice 2-mile chasers.
NEWS FROM
THE STEWARDS’ ROOM FOLLOWING THE RACE: WHY THEY RAN BADLY
It was also announced that the County Stand would
be renamed the Lord Daresbury Stand and, hey
presto, the first moment I looked at the name sign above the steppings it read County Stand, and just a minute or two
later, it read Lord Daresbury Stand! The favourite
for the next race was At Fishers Cross, trained by Rebecca Curtis and ridden
by AP McCoy; his price 11-8. The starting gate for this event was situated
part way up the home straight, with one flight and then two full circuits of
the course to travel.
And
then they were off, having walked towards the starting gate at a sedate
pace. Zarkandar
led the runners over the first flight, from At Fishers Cross, Melodic
Rendezvous, Whisper who was sweating and pulling, the grey Thousand Stars,
Salubrious and The Knoxs. The runners continued down past the
grandstands and past the winning post on the first occasion. AP’s mount was keeping close tabs on the
leader, drawing almost upsides as they negotiated the grandstand bend. This duo held a three length advantage over
the main body of the field. The
horses headed along the side of the track past the hospitality boxes and
entered the back straight. The pace of
the leading duo began to stretch out the pursuers. They cleared flight number two; Whisper
bunny-hopped it and The Knoxs in rear did a cross
between a bunny-hop and a paddle!
The leaders headed on to the next flight; At Fishers Cross
demonstrating his preference to jump out to his right, and Whisper not fluent
again as he landed on all fours. They
proceeded across the pathway, and headed towards flight number four; Melodic
Rendezvous the least fluent jumper at this one. Zarkandar and At
Fishers Cross matched strides as they entered the far turn and travelled
across the top of the course; their lead now eight lengths. Having turned into the home straight and
jumped the next flight, the leading duo’s margin over the field was now
greatly reduced. At the next flight,
yet again Whisper was less than fluent.
There were no noticeable errors as the runners crossed the next; with
At Fishers Cross continuing to jump out to this right. The
seven competitors galloped down past the grandstands and the winning post
once more before heading around the turn; one more circuit to go. The runners travelled along the track past
the hospitality boxes and into the back straight once more. The duo leading were four or five lengths
clear of the main group led by Melodic Rendezvous. There were no jumping errors at the first
flight in the back straight, but the aforementioned was less than fluent at
the next. The
field headed over the pathway and jumped the next flight; Zarkandar
landed on all fours. The leaders’
advantage had reduced slightly as they headed into the final turn; Thousand
Stars now a couple of lengths adrift at the back of the field. The runners negotiated the bend and entered
the home straight for the final time. Zarkandar and At Fishers Cross were still locked in
battle at the head of affairs; two or three lengths behind, Whisper and
Salubrious were endeavouring to hunt them down as Melodic Rendezvous began to
lose ground. Zarkandar and At Fishers
Cross led over three out; the latter continued to jump out to his right. Whisper and Salubrious continued to gain
upon them as they approached two out.
To the inside of the track Noel Fehily’s
mount was beginning to tire and landed on all fours over this. Harry Derham had
chosen to steer his partner to the outside of the runners and, as a result,
was hampered when At Fishers Cross jumped out to his right and across his
path! The
battle was still joined as the leaders headed to the final flight. It was Whisper who took off marginally
ahead of At Fishers Cross over this hurdle.
Salubrious had now begun to tire and made a jumping error at the last;
he was disputing third with Zarkandar now. The leading duo headed for the line, they
were being driven hard by their respective jockeys and, although AP’s mount
did close the gap, slightly, Whisper won by a length. Thousand
Stars stayed on through beaten horses to claim 3rd, with Zarkandar
4th, Salubrious 5th, and The Knoxs 6th. Melodic Rendezvous hadn’t seen out the trip
and was eased to finish a tailed-off last.
NEWS FROM
THE STEWARDS’ ROOM FOLLOWING THE RACE:
WHY THEY RAN BADLY Following the
third race I got chatting to a couple of racegoers. They were endeavouring to visit as many
racecourses as possible and this was the first time they’d been to Aintree;
the lady was shocked by the state of some of the women who attended the
meeting – inappropriate clothes and behaviour. I had to agree with her, it does spoil it
somewhat. The following weekend they’d
be heading to Ayr for the Scottish Grand National meeting. Unfortunately I
seemed to lose my ‘spot’ as a
result of my chat, which was annoying as I’d managed to retain it thus far;
including foregoing the option of seeing Choc return to the Winners’
Enclosure having finished 4th in the earlier race. The
starting gate for the next race was at the far end of the home straight, with
that and two full circuits to travel.
Then
they were off; or at least sixteen of the runners were. The exception being Carruthers
who was kept away from the other horses as they circled within the
infield. He joined the group as they
exited onto the racecourse but the group was so tightly packed that the horse
touched the plastic rail, jinked and Nico de Boinville fell off; the jockey walked away
uninjured. The
remaining runners headed towards the first fence; leading over it were Minella For Value, Unioniste, Kian’s Delight, Vino Griego and Gullinbursti. There
were no further mishaps and the field headed to towards fence number two, an
open-ditch; the light grey Our Mick, ridden by Wayne Hutchinson, jumped into
the lead at this fence. At the rear of
the field was the favourite Victor Hewgo. Wayne’s
mount got in a little close to the third fence, as did Unioniste;
near the rear of the field Sir Du Bearn was baulked by Wetak. The runners headed down past the winning
post and out onto the first of two complete circuits. Our Mick continued at the head of affairs,
from Minella For Value, Kian’s
Delight, Vino Griego, Gullinbursti, Renard, Golden
Chieftain, Unioniste, Duke Of Lucca, Saint Are, Wiesentraum, Wetak, Johns
Spirit, Sir Du Bearn, Tranquil Sea and Victor Hewgo. Having
travelled past the hospitality boxes Our Mick led the field into the back
straight, the loose horse upsides him.
He held a clear advantage over the field; all of which cleared the
next fence without incident. Johns
Spirit got a little low at the next; he dragged spruce from the apron so that
it lay across the top of the fence. Kian’s Delight took off too soon at the open-ditch and
stepped through the birch; Brian Hughes clung onto his reins, regained his
balance and continued. But he did drop
back to mid-field. The
field cleared the final fence in the back straight without incident; Saint
Are was being ridden along three from the rear at this stage. Our Mick led the runners around the top
bend heading to the cross-fence; having bypassed the open-ditch, the loose Carruthers was travelling upon the hurdles track and well
out of the way of the remaining runners. The
field negotiated the cross-fence, where Victor Hewgo
in rear made a bad error; James Reveley called a
cab and had to rearrange his reins upon landing. Shortly afterwards the partnership called
it a day. Our Mick continued to lead
as the field turned into the home straight and headed over the next fence,
where Vino Griego made a
mistake. Tranquil Sea now travelled at
the rear of the field, detached by a number of lengths. Unioniste made a bad
error at the following fence, an open-ditch.
Our Mick extended his lead once more as he headed down to and jumped
the fence in front of the stands. His
nearest pursuers were Gullinbursti, Vino Griego and Minella For Value.
Having passed the winning post with one circuit to go, the leader was
five or six lengths clear of the others.
He headed around the grandstand bend, past the hospitality boxes once
more and entered the back straight for the final time. Having
taken a route along the hurdles track, Carruthers
soon arrived within the ‘corral’
just to the front of where I was standing.
He entered at a rate of knots and, initially, it appeared he might
jump the centre plastic rail dividing the two halves of it. However, he also had excellent brakes and
applied these to very good effect. His
trainer soon arrived and he was led back to the stables unscathed. Meanwhile,
Our Mick travelled strongly at the head of affairs and the field began to
string out behind the leader. Saint Are hit the first in the back straight
and fell, slightly hampering Tranquil Sea in the process. The horse rose quickly and uninjured
followed the others, his jockey sat up and was attended by medics. There were a few untidy leaps at the back of
the field heading over the next fence; namely from Wiesentraum
and Johns Spirit, and from Tranquil Sea and Sir Du Bearn who bumped in the
air. His
pursuers were closing as Our Mick reached the open-ditch; he made an error
and his advantage was in danger of being lost. Again at the rear of the field the errors
were coming thick and fast; Johns Spirit ploughed through the final fence in
the back straight, there was also another error from Wiesentraum
and from Sir Du Bearn. Wayne
had gathered up his mount once more and his lead had extended to four or five
lengths as he headed to the cross-fence; which all the remaining runners
cleared without incident. However, a
number of runners were now in hot pursuit and his advantage had been reduced
to a length as he cleared the third last.
Vino Griego drew
alongside as they jumped the final open-ditch. Duke Of Lucca, to the inside, just a length
behind the leading duo. It
is a long run between the second last and last on Aintree’s park course;
approaching the last fence, Vino Griego and Duke Of Lucca extended their advantage over
Our Mick as the latter tired. Golden Chietain was gaining upon the grey, and Gullinbursti was staying on even better, towards the
last. Duke
Of Lucca held a narrow advantage as they cleared the final obstacle, and got
away from the fence the quicker.
However, on the run to the line, Vino Griego began to inch closer again with every stride but
he ran out of time; the winning distance a head. Gullinbursti
stayed on the take 3rd, with Kian’s Delight
recovering from his early blunder to take 4th. Golden Chieftain completed in 5th, with Our
Mick 6th.
I
remained beside the course-side rails; hoping to obtain a good vantage point
prior to the Grand National. The
horses returned to the Winners’ Enclosure via the usual route but, once
unsaddled, they were led back via the walkway onto the racecourse to return
to the stables. The usual route to the
stables was choc-a-bloc with Grand National entries
heading in the opposite direction and thus prevented them from using it. NEWS FROM
THE STEWARDS’ ROOM FOLLOWING THE RACE:
WHY THEY RAN BADLY The Stewards
considered the running of UNIONISTE (FR) ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies
and trained by Paul Nicholls, which finished unplaced. They noted the trainer
could offer no explanation for the gelding’s performance. They ordered
UNIONISTE (FR) to be routine tested. That’s it for
this section of the diary ... |
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