04.04.09 - THE GRAND NATIONAL

News and quotes from the first three races on Friday, Ladies' Day at Aintree

FIRST RACE WINNING QUOTES
highstreetvouchers.com TOP NOVICES’ HURDLE

DANCER BRINGS COMPENSATION FOR ELSWORTH

Jockey Dominic Elsworth made a winning return after eight days off the course to land the Grade 2 highstreetvouchers.com Top Novices Hurdle aboard the Lucy Wadham-trained El Dancer.

The German-bred five-year-old, who had cost 165,000gns at Tattersalls in October, was produced with a late finish by Elsworth to beat American Trilogy by a neck.

"He has done it nicely. It was a bit of a stop-start race and they didn't go a great gallop. Things didn’t really go to plan, he was too keen early on and made a mistake at the first down the back which has probably done me a favour because then I have been able to just slot in," said Elsworth.

"He was doing a little bit too much, running a bit too keen, but then he has settled and I have been able to fill his lungs all the time. He's quickened going down to the last. There was a bit of ground to make up and he's done it and won nicely. It was good to have something to aim at because he stopped a bit when he hit the front.

"He was a high-class flat horse in Germany but he couldn’t jump a pole when he started so a lot of credit must got to Yogi Breisner who got him schooling properly.

Elsworth, who had been suffering a shoulder injury, had been due to ride Darkness in the John Smith’s Grand National tomorrow but the horse’s connections replaced the rider after concerns about his fitness.

"I lost the ride in the National due to supposedly my shoulder being bad but, as you saw there, there is nothing wrong with my shoulder at the moment," added Elsworth.

"Every jockey, since they were a little child, and everyone else watches the National. The first Saturday in April is a big thing, and it's a once a year thing - our World Cup Final - and to lose the ride is upsetting. I can understand their point of view but I think in the circumstances you can see that I'm ready and I could have ridden.

"At this point of the season 90 per cent of jockeys are carrying some sort of injury or pain somewhere but I’m 110 per cent at the moment."

Elsworth was asked about rumours he could be aboard Kilbeggan Blade in the John Smith’s Grand National if Graham Lee is not fit for the mount.

"I haven’t heard anything about it and I hope that Graham is OK," said Elsworth. "But I would be available to ride if needed."

Trainer Lucy Wadham added: "El Dancer is a really nice horse and we have always loved him. He took a little bit of time to get the hang of the jumping at home and then we got messed up with the weather so he was quite late starting.

"He ran a disappointing race first time out, then he was good at Sandown, and then won a very easy race at Plumpton. We thought that we had earned a crack at a good race and he has run a blinder.

"I couldn’t say that he was really expected to win today but he has improved with each race and we decided to not go to Cheltenham and instead go for a small race at Plumpton.

"I think he was probably in front a bit too long at Sandown and Dominic said that he almost in front too soon here but it looked pretty perfect to me. Dominic also said that having a slow jump on the back straight probably played into his hands because it helped him to come from behind.

"He's quite smart at home and he has got good form on the flat - he's made like a jumper and he will go chasing next year, I would think. But this is only his fourth race of the season so we might think about Punchestown.

"I’m pleased for his owners and for (bloodstock agent) Richard Venn, who paid 165,000 guineas for the horse. It has paid off.

"It was a fantastic ride by Dominic after a week off and he wasn't even blowing. He’s very sensible and wouldn’t have ridden if he wasn’t completely fit and I think he will go to the very top as a jockey."

First Race: The highstreetvouchers.com Top Novices’ Hurdle

Placed Quotes
AMERICAN MUGGING

American Trilogy came to the last in the highstreetvouchers.com Top Novices’ Hurdle looking for all the world like the winner, but the 11/4 favourite was caught on the line by El Dancer, who won by a neck.

The trainer of the runner-up, Paul Nicholls, knew exactly what the post-race analysis would be even before his jockey had arrived in the winner’s enclosure.

"He’s just mad with himself, Ruby, he thought he was in front far too soon, which is what I thought he would say when he came back. He’s not best pleased, but it’s just the way the race unfolded. He was going a bit too well and jumped to the front two out and we got mugged," said the trainer.

Nicholls paid credit to the ride by Dominic Elsworth on the winner, before counting the positives about his own horse who, following his win at Cheltenham and this performance, is proving his talent.

"We’ve got the horse we thought we had. There will be other days for him and carrying an 8lb penalty - it was a great run," said the trainer.

Race 2: matalan.co.uk Mildmay Novices' Chase

quotes

KILLYGLEN BURIES MEMORY OF CHELTENHAM DEFEAT

Killyglen produced a memorable round of jumping on his way to victory in the matalan.co.uk Mildmay Novices' Chase.

Ridden by Denis O'Regan for trainer Howard Johnson and owner Davy McCammon, Killyglen scored comfortably, delivering a performance that was far ahead of a poor run in Cheltenham's RSA Chase, in which he pulled up.

Of Killyglen, Johnson said: "He's a grand sort of horse, although we were just a bit worried about the ground because he's got quite a high knee action.

"At Cheltenham they took him off his legs - they just went too quick for him, but today he was able to dictate it and he enjoyed it. He got in a good rhythm over the first three or four fences and that helped."

Johnson added: "I've struggled this season - I've had a few winners up in the north, drew a blank at Cheltenham, but it's good to get one at Aintree.

"We've been held up with the weather, but you've got to remember that quite a few horses I've got had six or eight runs last summer on the Flat, and they can't go on forever. They are all ready for the grass and a holiday.

"This horse was different. He was supposed to go to Brightwells' Breeze-Up Sale at Cheltenham, but got poison in a foot and was lame. His owner, Davy McCammon, said, 'Howard, he can't go to the sales, so will you train him for me?'. He's a lovely horse and he'll be better next year."

O'Regan said: "We got into a nice rhythm early on, whereas at Cheltenham he had a fright because they went so quick. He came on a pile for that experience, so today I decided to bounce him out there and keep him handy. He gave me a great ride."

Killyglen was given quotes of 25-1 by the sponsors for next year's totesport Gold Cup, and 33-1 by Cashmans.

Second race - The matalan.co.uk Novices’ Steeple Chase

Placed quotes

GALE A SHINING LIGHT FOR THE FUTURE

Trainer Charlie Mann already has Cheltenham in his sights for runner-up Shining Gale after the 4/1 shot finished nine lengths behind the winner Killyglen.

"He ran a good race but I’m a bit disappointed as I thought he’d win that," said Mann. "He jumped well and he’s a nice horse. We’ll put him away now and he’ll be a lovely prospect for next season."

Outlining the seven-year-old’s possible targets for next season, he added: "He probably wants 2m5f on soft ground so something like the Paddy Power (Gold Cup) will be right up his street as long as the handicapper doesn’t kill him. He could be a Ryanair (Chase) horse for next year."

A further eight lengths back in third was Irish raider Siegemaster and his trainer Dessie Hughes said: "I was pleased with his run today.

"Davy (Russell, jockey) was a bit disappointed he didn’t quicken up better in the straight but I think we were just beaten by two better horses on the day.

"All is well with Black Apalachi ahead of the John Smith’s Grand National tomorrow."

Race 3 - John Smith’s Melling Chase (Grade One) - Winning Quotes

KING SO PROUD OF BRAVE USTEDES

Trainer Alan King was full of emotion after Voy Por Ustedes battled his way to victory in the Grade One £200,000 John Smith’s Melling Chase. This was a second successive victory in the two-and-a-half mile event for the Sir Robert Ogden-owned gelding.

The winner showed all his courage to record a head victory over Schindlers Hunt after a projected duel after the last.

Alan King said: "I am speechless. I think I went through every emotion watching that race. It took me back to the old Viking Flagship days. He is just incredibly tough and will never shirk the issue. I am so proud of him."

"I thought he looked beat turning in but he really is one horse you want on your side in a battle. He really winged the last and I knew we had every chance after that.

"He ran very well when he was second at Cheltenham (in the Ryanair Chase). I was a bit worried after Cheltenham as he had a hard race, but he was very fresh and well at home and has been behaving like a lunatic on the schooling ground.

"I am so pleased for Sir Robert, especially after what happened yesterday (referring to the death of Exotic Dancer). It really does show the ups and downs of racing.

"I am not sure if he will run again this season. We will take him home and see how he is. He has plenty of options next year, we would maybe have another crack at the King George with him.

This horse really is so tough. He has been competing at the top division for three seasons now and not many horses do that. It is great for everyone involved with the horse."

VOY POR USTEDES ALL BUT SEALS ORDER OF MERIT WITH BRILLIANT DISPLAY IN MELLIN

The Order of Merit feature race of the day, the Grade One John Smith’s Melling Chase saw Voy Por Ustedes bidding to take the lead in the Order of Merit for the first time this season in his quest for the £200,000 first prize. As a Grade One there were 20 points on offer for first prize with points on offer down to fourth position. Tidal Bay and Petit Robin were also horses looking to move up the leaderboard.

Voy Por Ustedes put up one of the most tough and gutsy performances of the season to win the 2009 John Smith’s Melling Chase and in doing so win the 2008/2009 Order of Merit and take home the £200,000 in prize money.

Victory in the Order of Merit would net the Alan King stable staff a tasty £40,000 with also £40,000 going to a charity of owner Sir Robert Ogden’s choice. The remaining prize money is distributed as follows: £80,000 to the winning owner and £40,000 to the winning trainer, Alan King.
 
Third race - The John Smith’s Meling Chase

Winner’s quotes
 
THORNTON HAILS HORSE WHO HELPED PAY FOR HIS HOUSE

Leading jockey at the John Smith’s Grand National Meeting to date, Robert Thornton was full of praise for Alan King’s consistent stable star Voy Por Ustedes.

Celebrating his third win in two days, Thornton said: "That was very exciting, we went flat out all the way down the back that’s why I missed the last down the back.

"He's come back on the bridle again and then AP has squeezed on round the home turn and I was flat out.

"He didn’t quite jump as well as he can at Cheltenham but he was much better today. Something coming up on my outside has actually helped me. My lad won it with his jumping at the last and he was always just holding him on the run-in. It was a great performance.

"He’s been a great servant - he’s won an Arkle, two of these, five Grade Ones, he’s paid for my house."

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s Grand National, he said: "I’m really looking forward to riding L’Ami. It’s been a really big meeting so far."

Race 3: John Smith's Melling Chase

Placed quotes

GEORGE THRILLED BY NACARAT'S EFFORT

Nacarat, ridden by Tony McCoy, was beaten but not trounced in the John Smith's Melling Chase.

Having made the early running he was still in contention at the final fence before finishing third, beaten a head and four and a half lengths by winner Voy Por Ustedes and Schindlers Hunt.

Trainer Tom George said of Nacarat: "I'm delighted - he's run a fantastic race and done us very well this season. He almost stretched them, and although he wasn't stopping at the end the other two just picked up a little bit more.

"He's quite a clever horse, and although he made a couple of minor mistakes they were putting the gun to his head a bit. It was a championship race and they were going a very fast pace.

"He's a very tough horse and next season we'll aim for the King George VI Chase. Three miles around Kempton is his trip."

Asked whether he felt the horse prefers a right-handed track, George said: "A P [McCoy] said it didn't worry him going to the left - he just said go three miles next year."

George runs Kilbeggan Blade in tomorrow's John Smith's Grand National, and while Graham Lee is fighting to be fit for the ride, the trainer gave a hint of confidence when he said: "I've spoken to Graham and touch wood I think he's going to be okay."

Dessie Hughes, trainer of runner-up Schindlers Hunt, said: "He did well to come back from two bad mistakes. He was almost on top of the second last and then after that looked at the last for a stride.

"They are big fences and the leaders were going very quickly so he did well. I don't think there's anything for him at Punchestown so that's probably it for the season."

FOURTH RACE WINNING QUOTES

JOHN SMITH’S TOPHAM CHASE
TWISTON-DAVIES DREAMS OF 2010 NATIONAL

Irish Raptor put in a impressive effort to take the John Smith’s Topham Chase over the big Aintree fences by two and a quarter lengths and his trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies is hoping to return to Liverpool in 12 months’ time for the John Smith’s Grand National.

The 10-year-old had also finished runner-up in last year’s John Smith’s Topham Chase but would need an increase in his rating to get into the big race next year.

"He just eats these fences for breakfast," said Twiston-Davies. "Hopefully it's the National next year. He doesn't run very well anywhere else so he goes down in the handicap but I am sure that the handicapper will let us in the National next year.

"He stays, jumps and is the absolute perfect National horse. This is a great race to win but he was too low in the handicap to run in the National but next year he shouldn't be.

"I know he needs to go up the weights a lot but I think he could do with the National factor. (Handicapper) Phil Smith isn’t asked to put horses up in the ratings very often."

Twiston-Davies has four runners in tomorrow’s big race - Battlecry, Fundamentalist, Knowhere and Ollie Magern - and is hopeful of the good run continuing.

"These are happy days and we’ll win the National tomorrow!," said the trainer. "Battlecry is the young one in there but we don’t have a main contender as such, they are all in the handicap. I’ve got a crafty plan for overtaking Ginger’s four Nationals - we are going to have a four-way dead-heat."

Jockey Paddy Brennan added: "I should have been on the floor twice over the first 10 fences because I was brain-dead on his back and he just said just leave it to me. I got a breather into him just after Becher's when the others fell and I was safe, safe, safe. There were a couple of fences where he really bailed me out. He's deserved this because he has been an unlucky horse and it's probably one of the best thrills I have had in racing.

"I’m just happy to get one on the board for the trainer, who’s supported me brilliantly and I’ve had to watch what I’ve eaten for the past few days to do this weight.

"He was masterful today and I thought he was my best ride of the meeting beforehand. Hopefully, one day he might win the National if he got the right ground."

Race 4 - John Smith’s Topham Chase - Placed Quotes

NO EXCUSES FROM SWAN,

BRADSTOCK THRILLED

Trainer Charlie Swan was very happy with the performance of Oodachee, the two-and-a-quarter length runner-up behind Irish Raptor in the John Smith’s Topham Chase over the Grand National fences.

Swan said of the 20/1 chance: "It was a great run. He has been a bit of an unlucky horse as he has been placed many times, including in the Galway Plate.

"He is a lovely horse and jumped brilliantly. There are no excuses, we were just beaten by a better horse.

"He has been a great old horse for the syndicate. He has run at all the big festivals - here, at Cheltenham and at Galway. he has also won on the Flat.

"We will probably take him to Punchestown for a handicap chase now and then give him a break before going for the Galway Plate."

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s John Smiths Grand National, where Swan saddles Offshore Account, the trainer said: "Offshore Account is in great form and should love the ground. Oodachee’s run today will have given David (Casey, jockey) plenty of confidence."

Thirteen lengths back but running on well to the line for third was Cossack Dancer, who was at the head of the field for much of the race.

His delighted trainer Mark Bradstock said: "We have to be thrilled with that. He’s always been a bit of a fool. He’s a quirky character but we’re absolutely chuffed to bits.

"I always have to go down to the start with him so the ridiculous thing is I haven’t even seen the race but everyone tells me he jumped like a stag. It’s a first time for him over these fences and the first time for Mattie (Batchelor), too, so they’ve both done a wonderful job."Enjoying his first spin over the National fences, jockey Mattie Batchelor joked: "Some of the lads went down to The Chair - I said I’d give them a shout and I did. In the back of your mind you’re always thinking about Becher’s (Brook) but The Chair is massive. I’m only a little guy and it looked like a block of flats to me!"

Fifth Race: The Citroen Sefton Novices’ Hurdle

Winner’s Quotes

OGEE ON AN UPWARD CURVE

Just about the first person to greet trainer Renee Robeson after the victory of Ogee in the Citroen Sefton Novices’ Hurdle was former showjumper Harvey Smith, who had been in the same British showjumping team as her husband Peter Robeson.

The Robesons were both thrilled by the stable’s first-ever victory at the John Smith’s Grand National meeting. "I have a wonderful team and it’s entirely down to my team that we won here today," said the trainer.

Ogee, who was trained on the Flat by Sir Michael Stoute, has been a model of consistency this winter, not out of the top three in six races coming in to Aintree, but this test, the trainer recognised, was his toughest yet by far.

"Well, he’s been very consistent all through and I was optimistic that he would run well. But the opposition was fantastic; to go up a grade and up a distance was remarkable."

The trainer thought the extra distance - the extended three-mile hurdle was three furlongs further than he had ever raced - would assist the horse.

"We thought the distance would improve him and it has. Jimmy gave him a fantastic ride. The horse and jockey have done us proud.

"I think he will stay over hurdles next season and then go chasing but we have to see and you can never make fixed plans with horses. I am so lucky to have him and Sir Michael Stoute was very good to pass him on and he gave us some advice, which he doesn't often do."

Jockey Jimmy McCarthy thought the ground was also a significant factor. "It’s the first time he’s had his ground since he first ran at Uttoxeter this year. He’s been running in dreadful ground. On the boggy ground over the winter, he just hasn’t been able to take his feet out of the ground. On this ground he travels," said the Irishman.

"To be fair, I expected him to run a big race. I would have been disappointed if he’d have been far away even though he was out of it on the figures. We have always thought that he was a decent horse and the step-up to three miles would suit.

"Most of the fancied horses head been to Cheltenham but he'd had a break and then one run so he was fresh. We thought that if there was ever a time to run him in a Grade One then this was it.

"There were no real concerns bar the fact that I was in front a little bit too soon. He had a bit of a look at the last and put down but it was just that he was dossing. There was never any worry really. It's been a few years since I had a winner here and it means the world to me."

Fifth race - The Citroën Sefton Novices’ Hurdle

Placed quotes

GINGER DREAMING OF ANOTHER GRAND NATIONAL WIN - THIS TIME AS OWNER AND BREEDER

Comhla Ri Coig’s good second to Ogee in the Citroën Sefton Novices’ Hurdle brings his breeder and part-owner Ginger McCain one step closer to his dream of becoming the first man to own, breed and train a winner of the John Smith’s Grand National.

David Barlow, spokesman for the winning syndicate of owners Gingers Whingers, said: "We bought him as a six-year-old store and I named him. It means ‘together with five’ as there are four of us in the syndicate, Darren Brown, David Ellis, Ray Patterson and myself along with his breeder Ginger McCain.

"When we bought the horse, Ginger said that every time he sees him he gets butterflies as no-one has ever trained, owned and bred the winner of the Grand National. He’s going to go novice chasing after this and Ginger’s confident that he can win the National."

The ebullient breeder’s son and trainer of Comhla Ri Coig, Donald McCain Jr, said: "He’s run so well today that we might finish him off now for the season but the plan had been to get a novice chase run in if the rain comes before the end of May. He’s a grand horse and every inch a chaser. I’d like to think he’ll jump a fence. I tried to get him handicapped and couldn’t but everyone’s local and they’ve all had a great day."

He added: "Dad bought his dam for about £400 and it’s a really good old jumping family. They’re tough horses."

A further length back in third was According To Dick and connections felt that faster ground would have helped the six-year-old.

Sarah Hobbs, wife of trainer Philip Hobbs, said of the 10/1 chance: "We are delighted with the way he has run. He stayed on really well. He really wants good ground and Richard (Johnson, jockey) said it was good to soft out there today.

"We are just hoping the ground will not be too soft for Parsons Legacy in the Grand National tomorrow."

Moscow Catch, trained by Malcolm Jefferson and ridden by Phil Kinsella, fell at the second-last flight and suffered a fatal injury.