21.10.09 - THE GRAND NATIONAL, RACING AT AINTREE

NORTHWEST RACING MASTERS 2009 LAUNCH

The weekend of Saturday and Sunday, November 21 and 22, 2009, marks the fifth Northwest Racing Masters which sees thrilling top-class horseracing at two of Britain’s favourite racecourses, Haydock Park and Aintree.

The Northwest Racing Masters, from the first running in 2005, has established itself as an event, giving racegoers the opportunity of experiencing two different historic courses within a short journey of each other - Haydock Park, between Manchester and Liverpool and close to St Helens, Wigan and Warrington, and Aintree on the northern edge of Liverpool and not far from Southport.

The racing is superb over the two days, with Haydock Park staging the £200,000 Grade One Betfair Chase as the highlight of a brilliant seven-race card on the first day of the Northwest Racing Masters and Aintree holding two excellent contests over the world-famous Grand National course among six races on day two, the £100,000 totesport.com Becher Chase and the £70,000 totesuper7 Grand Sefton Chase.

The two racecourses are easily accessible by motorway, with Haydock Pak within a mile of the M6 off junction 23 and Aintree close to the end of both the M57 and M58. Both courses boast superb facilities and are ideal for a day out. The whole family can come, with accompanied children aged 16 and under admitted FREE OF CHARGE.

 A joint ticket to the Tattersalls Enclosures of both courses costs just £25 and is only available for advance bookings, a saving of £14 against the on-the-day admission charges.

County Enclosure admission at Haydock combined with Aintree’s one enclosure on the Sunday is £35 in advance, saving £18 against the on-the-day admission charges.         

Aintree’s raceday has one of the warmest, friendliest family atmospheres with Christmas activities marking the start of a very special season - there will be a visit from Santa and his real reindeer.

Dickon White, Managing Director at Haydock Park, said: “The Northwest Racing Masters is now in its fifth year and has firmly established its place in the racing calendar.

“With its two-day format at Haydock Park on the Saturday and Aintree on the Sunday, it has grown into a mini festival with a significant impact on the local economy in terms of hotel bookings as well as spending in restaurants and other entertainment facilities in the local area.

"We could not have asked for racing of a higher standard in the last four years, with Kauto Star’s two Betfair Chase victories standing out.

“This year is all set to be another fabulous two days of the finest jump racing to be found anywhere and it would be great if Kauto Star returns to Haydock Park to attempt a third Betfair Chase victory.

“Our thanks go to Betfair for their continued sponsorship, while we are also grateful of the significant support of the local authority in their promotion of the Northwest Racing Masters.”

Betfair’s Head Of Media Tony Calvin commented: “This is our fifth year of the Betfair Chase and it has continued to attract the top-class horses from reigning Gold Cup winner Kicking King in 2005 to the imperious Kauto Star in recent seasons.

“Everyone is focusing on Kauto Star going for a third Gold Cup this year and a fourth King George, but he has also won the small matter of two Betfair Chases, the only other Grade One staying chase in the UK racing calendar.

“Let’s hope he is allowed to make it three wins this year. In fact, it could have been the four-timer had he not stumbled and unseated his rider last year - I seem to recall that he was trading at 1-10 in running on Betfair at the time.”

Emma Owen, Marketing & PR Manager at Aintree, remarked: “Day two of the Northwest Racing Masters at Aintree features two races over the Grand National fences, including the totesport.com Becher Chase which has proved to be a significant pointer to the John Smith's Grand National itself since its inception in 1992.

“Our thanks go to the tote for sponsoring that race again and the other contest over the Grand National fences, the totesuper7 Grand Sefton Handicap Chase.

“The day also offers fun and activities for all members of the family, while the start of the festive season ensures a tremendous atmosphere complete with Santa and his reindeer!”

George Primarolo of the tote said: “The Northwest Racing Masters has established itself as one of the main festivals in the National Hunt calendar and the racing at both Haydock and Aintree is nothing short of top-class.

“We are proud to have sponsored the totesport.com Becher Chase since 1998 and in that time the race has grown both in stature and in value.

“It has also become one of the most important Grand National trials of the year with two winners of the race having gone on to win the big one in April in the shape of Amberleigh House and Silver Birch.”

Northwest Racing Masters Meeting

DAY ONE

Saturday, November 21, 2009

12:25pm New Download At Betfair Casino Novices' Hurdle (Listed)    2m 110y £27,500   

12:55pm Betfair Mobile Handicap Chase (0-140)       2m   £25,000  

1:25pm Tune Into Timeform Radio Hurdle 2m 110y £50,000    

1:55pm Betfair Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race      2m 110y £7,500

2:25pm Timeform Betfair Racing Club “Fixed Brush” Handicap Hurdle (Listed) 3m 1f £100,000 

3pm Betfair Chase (Grade One)        3m   £200,000 

3:30pm Betfair Racing Multiples Handicap Chase (0-145)      3m   £35,000

DAY TWO

Sunday, November 22, 2009

12:05pm Weatherbys Bank Maiden Hurdle        2m 110y £8,000   

12:35pm totesuper7 Grand Sefton Handicap Chase GNC    2m 5f 110y £70,000

1:10pm Best Odds Guaranteed At totesport.com Handicap Hurdle 2m 4f   £30,000  

1:45pm totesport.com Becher Handicap Chase (Listed) GNC 3m 2f   £100,000 

2:20pm Aintree Equestrian Centre Handicap Chase (0-125)     3m 1f   £12,000

2:55pm Christmas Party At Aintree Novices' Handicap Hurdle (0-120)    2m 4f   £10,000

HISTORY OF THE totesport.com BECHER CHASE
 
The inaugural running in 1992 of the totesport.com Becher Chase over the Grand National fences went to the Sue Smith-trained Kildimo and the Yorkshire trainer gained a second success a decade later when Ardent Scout prevailed under an excellent ride from Dominic Elsworth to get the better of 2004 John Smith’s Grand National hero Amberleigh House by 24 lengths.

Amberleigh House himself won this prestigious handicap chase in 2001 when driven out by Warren Marston to prevail by two lengths from Smarty. The 2004 Grand National saw previous winners of the Becher Chase fill the first two places as Clan Royal was runner-up to Amberleigh House after being successful in this event by a short-head from that same rival in 2003.

Another Grand National winner to capture the totesport.com Becher Chase was Earth Summit. Seven months after he had won the world’s most famous chase in 1998, Earth Summit returned to Aintree and defeated the previous year’s Becher Chase winner Samlee by 16 lengths. In addition to saddling Earth Summit, trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies has also won the Becher Chase on two other occasions, courtesy of Indian Tonic in 1993 and Young Hustler two years later. Indian Tonic scored unchallenged by six lengths from Southern Minstrel, while Young Hustler was successful by the same margin from Sir Peter Lely.

Young Kenny was cheered home in 2000 as the market leader, beating subsequent winner Ardent Scout by half a length for popular Yorkshire-based trainer Peter Beaumont. The Ardross gelding fell on his only attempt at the John Smith’s Grand National, but he did win the Scottish version in 1999.

Into The Red is the only dual winner of the totesport.com Becher Chase so far. He was victorious for trainer John White in 1994, when coming home unchallenged by 15 lengths from Feathered Gale and then, two years later, when under the care of Mary Reveley, he ran on well for Tony Dobbin to score by three and a half lengths and deny 1995 victor Young Hustler successive wins.

Tony Dobbin was on the scoresheet again three years later aboard the Nicky Richards-trained Feels Like Gold. The 11-year-old galloped clear of his opponents and eventually won eased down, with Him Of Praise taking the runner-up spot, 11 lengths adrift.

The Paul Nicholls-trained Silver Birch justified favouritism in the 2004 totesport.com Becher Chase under Ruby Walsh to master Just In Debt by a length in a thrilling renewal. He also captured the Welsh National in 2004 and, after being sold out of Nicholls’ stable for just 20,000 guineas, made one of the greatest comebacks to win the 2007 John Smith’s Grand National for Irish trainer Gordon Elliott.

Ned Mitchell’s Garvivonnian became the first Irish-trained winner of the totesport.com Becher Chase when taking the contest in November, 2005, at the initial running at the Northwest Racing Masters weekend. He held on in a thrilling finish from the fast-finishing Nicholls-trained Le Duc by three quarters of a length, with Just In Debt a neck away in third.

Nicholls claimed his second win in the totesport.com Becher Chase in 2006 with Eurotrek, who defied top-weight to defeat Bewleys Berry and 19 others in decisive fashion under Liam Heard, though there was drama after the last when it momentarily looked as if the winning jockey was going to take the wrong course.

The champion trainer was back for more in 2007 when he equalled Nigel Twiston-Davies’ record of three totesport.com Becher Chase victories by saddling Mr Pointment. The eight-year-old excelled over the Grand National obstacles, beating the previous year’s runner-up Bewleys Berry by a length.

Last year saw a fine front-running performance from Black Apalachi, under Denis O'Regan, who galloped resolutely all the way to the line to secure success in the totesport.com Becher Chase. The 15/2 chance, trained by Dessie Hughes in Ireland, came home a distance clear of the Mr Pointment in the three and a quarter mile event, with his stablemate Oulart a further half-length back in third. Black Apalachi was the second Irish-trained success in the totesport.com Becher Chase, following Garvivonnian in 2005.

The totesport.com Becher Chase attracts plenty of runners, many of whom are having their first start over the Grand National fences and the race is seen as one of the best John Smith’s Grand National trials, with two winners -  Amberleigh House and Silver Birch - going on to success in the world’s greatest chase.

Three favourites have prevailed - Young Hustler (1995), Young Kenny (2000) and Silver Birch (2004) - but there have also been three shock results - Amberleigh House was a 33/1 chance in 2001, while Garvivonnian (33/1 - 2005) and Eurotrek (25/1 - 2006) also caused upsets.

totesuper7 GRAND SEFTON CHASE - AINTREE Over the Grand National Fences
Year Horse   Owner   Trainer Age/Weight Jockey SP RAN

2003   Dark Room     J P McManus     Jonjo O’Neill   6-10-06   Liam Cooper    7/1 11

2004   Forest Gunner   John Gilsenan    Richard Ford   10-11-02   Peter Buchanan  7/1F 15

2005   Hakim      T N Siviter     John Spearing  11-10-12   Paddy Brennan  18/1  23

2006   I Hear Thunder   Nick Elliott     Bob Buckler   8-11-02   Daryl Jacob    12/1 20

2007   Lampion Du Bost   The Dodoz Partnership Jim Goldie   8-9-11    Phil Kinsella    66/1  22 

2008 Endless Power  Fyffees   Jim Goldie  8-10-00  James Reveley 11/1 13

HISTORY OF THE totesuper7 GRAND SEFTON CHASE

The totesuper7 Grand Sefton has attracted good fields since its revival six years ago after a 38-year break. The handicap chase is run over one circuit of the Grand National course, with 18 fences jumped during the two miles, five and a half furlongs. The old Grand Sefton took place over further - just under three miles - and ceased after the 1965 renewal, which was won by The Fossa.

The totesuper7 Grand Sefton Chase was re-established in 2003. Well-known Irish owner J P McManus saw his famous green and gold colours carried to victory by the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Dark Room. Partnered by Liam Cooper, the six-year-old was one of eight in with a chance jumping the final fence and kept on best of all after the elbow to score by three lengths from Scotmail Boy.

The Richard Ford-trained Forest Gunner, under claimer Peter Buchanan, scored the following year. The winner had earlier taken the John Smith’s Fox Hunters’ Chase at the John Smith’s Grand National meeting when ridden by the trainer’s wife, Carrie. That pairing subsequently finished fifth in the 2005 John Smith’s Grand National, equalling Rosemary Henderson’s highest-placed finish by a woman in the race.

The 2005 renewal of the totesuper7 Grand Sefton was the first under the umbrella of the Northwest Racing Masters. The John Spearing-trained Hakim took the honours. Paddy Brennan soon had his mount out in front and Hakim jumped for fun. He stayed on gamely to defeat Fiori by two and a half lengths.

There were 20 runners in the 2006 contest which went the way of the Bob Buckler-trained I Hear Thunder, a 12/1 chance, who jumped well and stayed on strongly for then conditional jockey Daryl Jacob to come home seven lengths clear of Shannon’s Pride. Hakim, attempting to land the race for a second year in a row, again tried to make all the running, but this time got no further than the eighth fence.

The race was even more popular in 2007 when 22 lined up before the starter. There was a shock result as 66/1-chance Lampion Du Bost, ridden by Phil Kinsella and trained by Jim Goldie in Scotland for the Dodoz Partnership, which included ex-Scotland striker Billy Dodds, won on merit, jumping exemplarily.

There were shades of the famous finish to the 1973 Grand National between Crisp and Red Rum as 11/1 chance Endless Power tired rapidly after the last in the 2008 totesuper7 Grand Sefton Handicap Chase

However, the leader held on by two and a half lengths from Brooklyn Brownie under 3lb conditional James Reveley for Goldie, gaining a second Grand Sefton success. The winner jumped for fun over the famous fences, soon built up a commanding advantage and was still around 15 lengths in front over the last.

END