04.04.08 - THE GRAND NATIONAL, RACING AT AINTREE

LATE LUNCH DOESN'T QUITE TAKE THE BISCUIT

Gone To Lunch narrowly failed to devour Pettifour after rallying near the post in the Citroen C5 Sefton Novices' Hurdle, but the neck runner-up has been a fabulous advertisement this season for West Country trainer Jeremy Scott.
 
Equipped with a visor for the first time, Gone To Lunch was given full assistance by Tony McCoy and made much of the running, eventually losing out by a neck.
 
Scott said: "He didn't travel at Cheltenham [in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle] and today the visor helped him. He just dosses, he's not ungenuine. Tony gave him a peach of a ride and couldn't have done any more. We were just touched off, but that's life.
 
"Tony said he's looking forward to him going chasing next year. He has the scope and size and should be a nice prospect, and he's still a novice [despite running in the Christie's Foxhunter Chase last season]. We hope he hasn't learnt too many bad habits hurdling, but we've schooled him over fences at home all the way through so he should be all right.
 
"We put an entry in for him at Punchestown on a whim, but Tony said 'he's had a hard enough race and there's no point in going on'. I'm happy enough with that because he's had a long season."
 
Scott is in his first year with a licence - his wife, Camilla, trains a yard of pointers - and he added of Gone To Lunch: "He's been a fabulous horse for us. He's put us somewhere on the map, even if it's right down the bottom."
 
TAZBAR DISAPPOINTS
 
Phil Kinsella, rider of the disappointing 13/8 favourite Tazbar, who could only finish sixth, said: "The way the race was run just didn't suit him today and he was never really travelling."
 
ONE-DAY BAN FOR DENIS O'REGAN
 
Jockey Denis O'Regan picked up a one-day ban after riding Cedrus Libani for trainer Howard Johnson in the opening John Smith's Mildmay Novices' Chase for using his whip when out of contention. The ban takes place on April 19.