Millers' time for Value Bet followers
Millers Bank - tipped at 17/2 in Matt Brocklebank's Value Bet column - won the opening SSS Super Alloys Manifesto Novices' Chase at Aintree.
Claiming a first Grade One success for his trainer Alex Hales, the eight-year-old, who returned at an SP of 7/1, settled sweetly behind the leaders and put his early-season jumping mistakes behind him with a fine round of fencing.
Jockey Kielan Woods held onto the winner before delivering him between the weakening Gin On Lime and staying-on War Lord approaching the last fence and bounded clear to score by 10 lengths.
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Market leader Erne River was an early casualty in the race, while Millers Bank's Kempton conqueror Pic D'Orhy also made what turned out to be a race-ending mistake when starting to make his challenge.
Striking at Grade One level for the first time, a jubilant Hales said: “That was fun, wasn’t it? It’s quite emotional, it’s wonderful really. It took a long time to get here, it’s a massive team effort. Suddenly it gets you a bit, we’ve worked so hard for so long and to find a horse like this and do it here is wonderful.
“It’s massive because this is a hard game. It’s hard to compete at this level and to have winners anywhere. For small trainers like us, we’re working really hard every day so it’s brilliant to come here on the top stage and do it. Sally (wife) and I bred him as well, it’s quite an incredible story.
“I’m just delighted for the team, Sally, Kielan and Harry. Kielan and Harry Bannister are two jockeys having fabulous years and I’m just so proud of everyone.
“We owned the mare and chose the stallion, we went to Passing Glance. We just believed in him and it’s just fabulous. Last year, when he was third in the Grade One Aintree Hurdle, I knew 80-1 was a silly price. At Huntingdon first time out this year I thought he was brilliant and then, it’s not supposed to be easy, this game, and the wheels came off a couple of times.
“We got back on track in the Pendil (at Kempton).”
He went on: “If you’d have asked me a week ago, he’d have definitely won – but with every moment that passed I wasn’t so sure! Kielan’s very cool, isn’t he? He’s too cool sometimes for my nerves!
“He looked like he did it fairly well. We’ll take it step by step. I know he’s won well there (over two and a half miles), but he wouldn’t mind going up in trip, either.”
Equally thrilled was Woods, who said: “I’ve not even won a Grade Two so to win a Grade One is just unbelievable.
“Alex Hales bred the horse, there’s not many trainers that have bred a horse and gone all the way from bumpers to winning a Grade One around Aintree. They’re a top class team. I’m just so happy for Alex, he’s supported me for a long, long time.
“It’s brilliant to even be here, let alone riding a Grade One winner.”
Tizzard added of his pair: “War Lord ran his race. Sometimes he tanks, and I didn’t think he was travelling as well as he can, but then he still had half a chance at the second-last. He could be a Haldon Gold Cup horse for next season.
“The Widdow would jump anything when he was out in the field. He’s surprised us today. He couldn’t get to the front as we hoped, but he’s shown us that he can settle. He did that beautifully.”
Gina Andrews celebrates with Foxhunters’ hero Latenightpass
Gina Andrews guided Latenightpass to glory in the Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase over the Grand National fences at Aintree.
Andrews, a record-breaking point-to-point rider, had the nine-year-old – who was second 12 months ago – up in contention right from the start.
She was tracking last year’s winner Cousin Pascal, with Cat Tiger never far away as the first three from 2021 looked set to dominate again.
After Jett, the short-priced favourite based on his efforts in last year’s National, could not get his own way from early on not many got into contention.
One who did arrive late on the scene was Porlock Bay, a winner at last year’s Cheltenham Festival but he could only manage third.
It was Cousin Pascal who wilted first, but on jumping the last Cat Tiger and his owner/rider David Maxwell appeared to be travelling the best.
However, Latenightpass (7-2), running for the first time since a wind operation, kept up the gallop to provide Andrews’ husband Tom Ellis with the most notable success of his career.
Andrews said: “He was absolutely super, he just takes to it so well for whatever reason. He was so nimble, he is by no means the most scopey, just agile and so nimble.
“You have to get a good start, they always say you can’t win the race at the start but you can lose it. He was brilliant all the way round, no mistakes, I’m just delighted.
“It’s an absolute dream. He took to it like an absolute dream last year so we missed Cheltenham this year and he was a much fresher horse. I’m so pleased.”
Ashroe Diamond sparkles at Aintree for Team Mullins
Ashroe Diamond gave Willie Mullins his first victory of the 2022 Grand National meeting when taking the concluding mares’ bumper.
Ridden by his son, Patrick, the well-backed 9/4 favourite travelled strongly in the Grade Two affair and quickened well when asked, and while Law Ella gave chase as the winner briefly threatened to idle a touch, she was six lengths adrift at the line.
“She was good, she’s been doing everything right at home. We were a little worried when we saw the rain coming, Paul (Townend) thought it was dead enough for Kemboy and I thought it might be too dead for her but she didn’t seem to mind,” said Mullins.
“To me it looked like she was running quite free in the early part of the race, but once Patrick got her settled he just sat, he said turning for home he was worried about something coming up behind him rather than the ones in front, he thought he had those covered.
“He was confident I think that they had gone fast enough and the ones in front wouldn’t be going away.
“There’s a mares’ bumper there (Punchestown), it’s a little soon but we’ll have a look at it as there’s nothing else for her. There’s a good chance she’ll go there.”
Evan Williams’ sparingly-raced The Last Day (tipped at 14/1 by Simon Holt) came from off a searing pace to win the Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase.
A faller at the last when set to win at 25/1 on his last outing at Haydock, the 10-year-old was having just his eighth run over fences in four years.
Patiently ridden by Adam Wedge as Henry de Bromhead’s Dancing On My Own adopted catch-me-if-you-can tactics, he began to close up before the home turn.
It soon became obvious it would only concern those two, and The Last Day (12/1) came clear to win by two and a half lengths.
Williams said: “Mrs Rucker must take a great deal of credit for this. The horse has been plagued with leg problems. I send him to her battered and bruised and she sends him back all new and shiny.
“He would have won last time only to fall. We couldn’t do anything about it, but obviously we’re concerned about the weather, and needed the rain.
“His old wheels take a fair bit of looking after and there’s no doubt he’ll go home now.
“With him I can’t look further then tomorrow morning, and if he spent the rest of his life where he’s going it wouldn’t surprise me.”
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