Twig leads Mr Vango over the last in the Becher

Becher Chase report and replay: Twig edges out Mr Vango

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Sat December 06, 2025 · 2M ago

Twig (18/1) edged out 9/2 favourite Mr Vango in a pulsating if slow-motion duel for the William Hill Half A Mill Becher Handicap Chase at Aintree.

Mahons Glory threatened to blow the race apart having jumped himself into a clear lead which he still held turning for home.

However the petrol gauge began to read empty soon after but trying to close him down had take a toll on the others.

The winner led over the last under Beau Morgan but the top-weight and eventual runner-up somehow found the reserves to try and get past.

There was never more than half-a-length between them, an advantage that was eroded with every stride.

They hit the line seemingly together but the photographic evidence showed that at the moment that mattered Twig was still in front by a short-head.

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A dream come true

Conditional jockey Morgan thanked weighing-room great Barry Geraghty for some wise words, saying: “That was a nerve-racking twenty minutes. My head was down and I didn’t have a clue. I just sat there with my fingers crossed hoping for the best. Normally those photo finishes don’t come in for me, but thank God the one time it mattered it did.

“Every time this horse wins there is always a stewards’ inquiry. He is one of those horses that if you hit the front too soon he will slam on the brakes. We chased down the horse that had a nice lead and we probably got there a bit too soon, but it worked out well for us.

“We were always waiting for that horse to come upsides us and give us a bit of challenge up the run-in. Thank God he dug deep today and I owe everything to him.

“The tempo of the race didn’t really help my lad and the ground was probably not ideal for him. He didn’t travel as good as he normally does, but it worked out brilliantly.

“Luckily I had some help before going into the stewards’ inquiry as Barry Geraghty gave me some help. I was pretty confident with what I said and I was happy enough leaving there and I was just delighted the result was okay.”

And there was no one more delighted at the Merseyside track following the success of Twig than Morgan’s dad Arron.

He added: “The last three wins he has had a stewards’ inquiry, but this was the hardest one. It is amazing and I’m so proud of the boys. Luca has been helping to train him and Beau rides it, what more could you want.

“The poor wife (Georgia) is sat at home with a broken leg and she is absolutely devastated she can’t be here. She is at home, but she is loving it and she is ecstatic the same as all of us. I turned away thinking is this true, and I couldn’t believe it. To see Beau come across the line was emotional. It is a brilliant day and a dream come true.”

An absolute hero of a horse

As for triumphant trainer Pauling, who was celebrating his second success on the day, he admitted to being relieved for Morgan, and Twig, who he described as a ‘hero’ of a horse.

Pauling said: “He has been an absolute hero of a horse for Beau, and the Morgans as well.

“He has run a blinder and Beau has given him a lovely ride. He has jumped for fun and got lonely in front.

“He was a horse that literally couldn’t get out of his own way for some lovely owners of mine called the Strangmans. He ran in two races and just got lapped. We said we haven’t got that much time, or money to throw at it, and I said Beau Morgan is about to start point-to-pointing, so I said what about him as a pointer, so they sold him for one hundred pounds. They wanted the Morgan family to be responsible for the horse going forward.

“It is a huge relief and I’m just thrilled for Beau and the horse. It was a very close run and Sara’s horse has run phenomenally well, but we are relieved."

However, while the win now puts Twig in line for a £500,000 windfall thanks to the new William Hill Half A Mill bonus awarded to any horse that can win a trial race, of which the Becher is one, and the Grand National in the same season, Pauling admits he might have other plans.

Pauling added: “He didn’t get involved in the National before as he just plugged on and ran well. You can’t run like that in a Grand National these days. We will see. He would go up enough to get in, but I was thinking about the Veterans’ Final at Sandown Park, but we will see.”

Bradstock proud of Vango

While it was not to be for Sara Bradstock, and Mr Vango, she insisted she was still proud of the effort and is confident there are further big days to be had with the nine-year-old.

Bradstock said: “I couldn’t be more delighted with him. It was very close, but the horse is a stayer and that is too short for him on ground that is riding too nice. He loved the fences. He is quite bright as he worked out quite quickly that he didn’t have to jump them too big. The same owner had Step Back, but he was like twinkle toes as he didn’t want to touch a twig.

“He is amazing. We got him for thirty thousand pounds as he had a great reputation of being a big old slow old horse, but he is a big slow old horse with an engine and an attitude.

“Give us another furlong and we win it. He is a real old hero.

“We wouldn’t come back here on anything that isn’t softer than good to soft as otherwise they go too fast for him. This ground over four and a bit miles you think he would have a shout and if you got Red Marauder ground then no one would get near him.

“He is such a big horse you can’t make definite plans as sometimes it takes him a long time to get over a race and sometimes it doesn’t.

“The Welsh Grand National is in my mind, the Classic Chase probably won’t go heavy enough. He loves the ground at Haydock Park so the Grand National Trial is a possibility.

“He has got some big races in him as he is a proper old hero.”

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