Where It All Began pictured after his Punchestown win
QuinnBet Grand National Trial Handicap Chase report: Where It All Began wins for Jack Kennedy and Gordon Elliott
By Sporting Life
08:54 · MON February 19, 2024
Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy took centre stage at Punchestown as Where It All Began won the QuinnBet Grand National Trial Handicap Chase.
Kennedy gave the eight-year-old a significant vote of confidence beforehand after choosing to ride him over stablemates Dunboyne and Frontal Assault, and the 10/1 shot duly obliged, staying on strongly to collar hot favourite We'llhavewan before the final fence and bounding up the run-in to win by 16 lengths.
Willie Mullins' 5/4 market leader had no answer under Paul Townend but boxed on to fill the runner-up spot from 10/1 chance Clonmeen in third, with novice My Immortal (17/2) taking fourth.
As a result of the performance Paddy Power and Betfair slashed his price for the Grand National from 200/1 to 50/1, with weights for the Aintree contest revealed on Tuesday.
Elliott nominated two alternative targets for the horse, however, one at the Cheltenham Festival in March and one closer to home at Fairyhouse, with only 34 runners permitted in the National this year.
He said: “He could go for the Kim Muir at Cheltenham or an Irish National. It was a good performance and he stays really well.”
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