03.04.08 - THE GRAND NATIONAL, RACING AT AINTREE

Our Vic stages a great revival

David Johnson, the owner of Our Vic, winner of the totesport Bowl Chase acknowledged that he had accepted defeat as his horse dropped back behind Kauto Star going to the second last. "On form, we were third in [behind Kauto Star and Exotic Dancer] and I didn’t think he would win. I thought we would come second."

"I was watching the race from the restaurant and I’d resigned myself to second. Timmy [Murphy] said that Kauto stopped in front for whatever reason. I didn’t think we had beaten him, though. I thought we’d come second, but it’s a great race to win," he added.

Even Murphy was not convinced that the horse had got up in the final strides. "I had half an idea at the line, but then I’ve often thought that and it’s not gone my way. He had an awful lot of work to do but this proves that he stays over three miles," he said.

"Ruby pinged the third last and I missed it. Kauto Star went five or six lengths clear and I was thinking that he would go on from there, but he has given me something to aim at, and once my lad had something to chase, he’s picked up again. From the last it was nip and tuck all the way to the line and I think I came at Kauto Star late enough and he didn’t have time to respond. I thought I had got it crossing the line but I’ve felt like that many times before and the result has gone the other way. It was a big relief to hear number four being called out! That’s probably the best race in his life today and I couldn’t be any happier with him. I was hoping that the ground wouldn’t be to soft for him today because it is a quick track and he needs to go a good gallop and travel. He’s dictated the pace and it’s a great result in the end."

The jockey thought that the application of blinkers, first used in his last outing, when he cruised home in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival had made a difference and Johnson too thought that they had "helped to revitalise the horse" though he gave his jockey plenty of credit. "He’s a great horseman; probably the best there is," he said.

Johnson also put in a plea for his horse, who has had a reputation for unreliability. "I don’t know why he’s got a [Timeform] squiggle by his name. He’s not been out of the first three in his last 10 races," he said.
The plaudits also came from the David Pipe, the trainer. "He’s a very good horse. When this fellow retires we won’t half miss him," he said.

"Both horses deserved to win but Our Vic and Timmy have given their all. He’s battled back and got a good jump at the last. He’s got there in the dying strides, which I didn’t think he had.

"I was always happy until we made a mistake at the first in the home straight and Kauto Star’s gone on. The blinkers have definitely helped him. They’ve sharpened him up and Timmy asked him to respond as he has.

"He’s a very good horse and he’s been a very good horse all of his life. Eddie Buckley, the head lad, rides him everyday. And I said to him the other day that when this fellow retires we won’t half miss him."