04.04.08 - THE GRAND NATIONAL, RACING AT AINTREE

ANGRY TWISTON-DAVIES GETS ON THE SCOREBOARD

Out of luck in the opener with Battlecry, who finished second, Nigel Twiston-Davies got his name on the scoreboard when Pettifour battled to a game neck victory in the Grade One Citreon C5 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle over three miles and half a furlong under Paddy Brennan.
 
"Pettifour has run a cracker. He’s one of those horses who just keeps improving with every race and you just love that sort of horse. That’s his season finished - he’s done enough," said the trainer.
 
"If we were second again it would have been too much. We should have won the first with Battlecry and, without that mistake at the second last, we would have.
 
"I thought something would go wrong here but it didn't. I would have hoped that if Pettifour and Gone To Luch had raced together then we might have won a bit easier but it was a very clever tactic to race away form us.
 
"He only had five races and he keeps improving so we can't ask for anymore than he does."
 
The handler was angered about a £140 imposed on him by the British Horseracing Authority for withdrawing Ardaghey from today’s totepool Handicap Chase. The nine-year-old was first reserve for the John Smith’s Grand National, and made the cut for tomorrow’s showpiece after Opera Mundi was ruled out this morning.
 
"The prize money might go towards paying my £140 fine by the BHA for taking Ardaghey out of the totepool Handicap Chase because he’s not allowed to run today.
 
"I am very, very angry. He got promoted into the John Smith’s Grand National as a reserve. The owners are up here so he has to run somewhere. I’ve got a £140 fine - well done the ......... BHA.
 
"They can’t justify it but they just love fining people. I’m not allowed to run him today - it’s against the Rules. Of course, I’m going to appeal it. It’s the sort of bureaucracy and stupidity that we’re trying to get away from, I think. If I was deliberately breaking the Rules, go for my throat, I don’t mind. But I’ve done nothing wrong here."
 
Paddy Brennan, the winning rider, said: "Brilliant! I’m delighted. What a top horse. This was only Pettifour’s third run over hurdles and he’s won his last two and he was brilliant.
 
"He’s so tough he missed the last with a circuit to go and if you are stepping up to a race like this you can’t miss hurdles and he missed it bad. Tony (McCoy) beats me every day of the week so it’s just nice to get one over on him. At the end of the day, I was on the baby and he was looking at the crowd. I’d just like to thank David England, who rides second to me.
 
"He rode the horse in bumpers and he never knocked him about and gave him a lovely education. It is down to people like that at the end of the day, it’s a team effort and I’m just delighted to be part of it. I went very steady round on him and let him have loads of light and I was really keen to get him in a bit but it was a tactical race. I think you’ll find in time that the best horse won."