A review of the rest of the action from Aintree on Saturday.
Same old Road for Skeltons
Old Coast Road (8/11 Favourite) came home the comfortable three and three-quarter length winner under Harry Skelton in the opening two-runner William Hill Epic Boosts EBF 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle at Aintree on Saturday.
Winning trainer Dan Skelton: “It was a shame for the racecourse to only get two runners. I think Aintree have done an unbelievable job to get the ground to where it is, but we are now in winter and some of them probably want it slower than it is.
“This is a nice horse. He got beat in a bumper, when he just got out-muscled, but a two and a half mile is a bit more like it for him. I don’t know where we’ll go next.”
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Jane's Javert denies San Bruit and Nicholls
The long trip up to Aintree from Devon was a fruitful one for trainer Jane Williams when Javert Allen (4/1) came home in front in the two-mile William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Chase. Partnered by Ciaran Gethings, the seven-year-old wore down long-time leader Sans Bruit on the run-in to win by a neck.
Winning trainer Williams said: “We use a grass gallop at home a lot and we have been hitting the crossbar a lot. It has been so frustrating.
“It was a spot-on ride from Ciaran. I’ve no idea where we’d go now. I thought we could be placed today but not win. Our older horses have been doing better than our younger horses. They are just a bit tougher and more streetwise.
“It was all about today really. He’s a two-miler who likes flat tracks and likes to dominate. It was a perfect race today and he got a perfect ride. I was just pleased that he shows a lot of guts and determination.”
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