Sam Waley-Cohen’s record over the Grand National
fences is remarkable. He rode Katarino to win the Fox
Hunters’ Chase over the big fences in 2005 and 2006,
and Warne to win the Fox Hunters’ in 2014. He also
won the Topham Chase in 2006 on Liberthine and in
2015 on Rajdhani Express, and he won the Becher
Chase in 2014 on Oscar Time. He finished second in
the 2011 Grand National and fourth in the 2013 Grand
National on the same Oscar Time.
All that’s missing on the amateur rider’s Aintree CV is
a Grand National victory. Noble Yeats will be Sam
Waley-Cohen’s final ride before he retires. The Grand
National has a habit of producing stories, and this could
be one of the best yet.
GRAND NATIONAL
20229Aintree
Going: good to soft
1.45 (2m 4f hdle) 1, Langer Dan (Harry Skelton,
4-1 jt-fav); 2, Fils D’oudairies (10-1); 3, Balco Coastal
(8-1); 4, Garry Clermont (25-1). 21 ran. NR: Some Day
Soon. 1Ol, 8l. D Skelton.
2.20 (2m 103yd hdle) 1, Jonbon (Aidan Coleman,
Evens fav); 2, El Fabiolo (4-1); 3, Vina Ardanza (14-1).
9 ran. Nk, 19l. N J Henderson.
2.55 (3m 210yd ch) 1, Ahoy Senor (D R Fox, 4-1);
2, Fury Road (14-1); 3, L’Homme Presse (7-4). 4 ran.
5l, 13l. Miss Lucinda V Russell.
3.30 (2m 3f 200yd ch) 1, Fakir D’Oudairies (M P
Walsh, 10-11 fav); 2, Hitman (11-1); 3, Sceau Royal (18-1).
10 ran. 5Kl, 3l. J P O’Brien.
4.05 (2m 5f 19yd ch) 1, Mac Tottie (S Bowen, 8-1); 2,
Batcio (25-1); 3, Annamix (50-1); 4, Francky Du Berlais
(28-1). 29 ran. NR: Romain De Senam. 4Nl, 6l.
P Bowen.
4.40 (3m 149yd hdle) 1, Gelino Bello (H Cobden, 7-2);
2, Gentleman At Arms (28-1); 3, Haute Estime (100-1).
14 ran. 4Kl, 4l. P F Nicholls.
5.15 (2m 103yd hdle) 1, Hacker Des Places (Angus
Cheleda, 10-1); 2, Severance (5-1); 3, Washington
(13-2); 4, Whizz Kid (3-1 fav). 16 ran. NR: Homme
Public. 1l, 1Ol. P F Nicholls.
Placepot: £655.50. Quadpot: £197.80.
Fontwell Park
Going: good
1.00 (2m 5f 164yd hdle) 1, Milan Bridge (Tom
Buckley, 11-10); 2, Hecouldbetheone (8-11 fav); 3, Sure
Listen (100-1). NR: Ucanaver. 8Kl, 34l. P F Nicholls.
1.30 (2m 5f 135yd ch) 1, Legends Ryde (T J O’Brien,11-4); 2, Sopran Thor (3-1); 3, Goa Lil (11-8 fav). 4 ran.
NR: Brewers Project. 8Kl, 10l. Jamie Snowden.
2.00 (2m 1f 162yd hdle) 1, Gold Souk (Daniel Sansom,
2-1 fav); 2, Limelighter (33-1); 3, Tommy Dillion (16-5).
11 ran. NR: Fanfaron Dino. 4Kl, 6l. D Steele.
2.35 (3m 1f 210yd ch) 1, I See You Well (M G Nolan,
2-1); 2, Poppa Poutine (Evens fav); 3, Waikiki Waves
(8-1). 4 ran. NR: Another Emotion. Kl, 2Ol. J W Mullins.
3.10 (3m 1f 166yd hdle) 1, Rubys Reward (Rex Dingle,
5-1); 2, Age Of Wisdom (7-1); 3, Heron Creek (5-6 fav).
7 ran. NR: Clondaw Bisto, Tis But A Scratch. 5Kl, 5l.
A J Honeyball.
3.45 (2m 3f 104yd ch) 1, Richidish (J E Moore, 11-1);
2, Enrichissant (5-1); 3, Go All The Way (Evens fav).
7 ran. 18l, 13l. G L Moore.
4.20 (1m 5f 159yd Flat) 1, Cuban Court (Jack Quinlan,
7-2); 2, Fountains Chief (2-1); 3, Iskar D’airy (11-10 fav).
4 ran. NR: Captain Fantastic, Dear Ralphy. Nk, sh hd.
N B King.
Placepot: £431.10. Quadpot: £60.10.
Sedgefield
Going: good to soft (soft in places)
2.10 (2m 5f 28yd ch) 1, Stamina Chope (Lee Edwards,
11-1); 2, Moonlight Glory (2-1); 3, Spot On Soph (5-4
fav). 4 ran. 7l, 2Ol. Dave Roberts.
2.45 (2m 3f 188yd hdle) 1, Not What It Seems (Emma
Smith-Chaston, 7-1); 2, Haas Boy (3-1); 3, Where’s
Hector (11-8 fav). 7 ran. 2Ol, 4l. Micky Hammond.
3.20 (2m 178yd hdle) 1, Bonne Vitesse (A P Cawley,
9-4); 2, Minelladestination (1-2 fav); 3, Shantou
Boudicca (50-1). 5 ran. 3l, 19l. Micky Hammond.
4.00 (2m 1f ch) 1, Myburg (Thomas Willmott, 5-1);
2, Fulgurix (3-1); 3, Cool Country (9-4 fav). 9 ran. Kl, 3l.
Mrs S J Smith.4.35 (3m 3f 9yd hdle) 1, Great Raffles (A P Cawley, 3-1
fav); 2, Cresswell Queen (4-1); 3, Atomic Angel (4-1). 10
ran. NR: Bird On The Wire, Lord Condi, Onestepatatime,
That’s My Dubai. 8Kl, 1Kl. M Hammond.
5.08 (3m 2f 202yd ch) 1, Well Cliche (C O’Farrell, 100-
30 fav); 2, To The Limit (12-1); 3, Wake Up Early (6-1).
10 ran. 1l, 2l. M Todhunter.
5.42 (2m 178yd hdle) 1, Hey Bob (Mr James King,
10-1); 2, William Cody (9-4 fav); 3, Penpal (4-1). 11 ran.
NR: Just Jess, Snowed In. 2Kl, 12l. O Murphy.
Placepot: £203.20. Quadpot: £3.30.
Kempton Park
Going: standard/slow
5.25 (1m 2f 219yd) 1, Hello Jumeirah (Tom
Marquand, 5-1); 2, Timeless Melody (11-8 fav); 3, Sassi
Neri (10-3). 10 ran. NR: Graph. 1l, 3Kl. W J Haggas.
6.00 (7f) 1, Guess (Rob Hornby, 6-5 fav); 2, Falesia
Beach (17-2); 3, All Go (15-8). 14 ran. 1l, 3Nl. R M Beckett.
6.30 (1m 2f 219yd) 1, King Francis (David Egan,
5-4 fav); 2, Ilhabela Fact (9-1); 3, Busby (9-4). 6 ran.
2l, Kl. M L W Bell.
7.00 (1m) 1, Across The Nile (Hollie Doyle, 11-2);
2, Light Lily (11-4 jt-fav); 3, Lucayan (11-4 jt-fav). 9 ran.
Ol, Ol. D M Loughnane.
7.30 (6f) 1, Silver Dollar (Andrea Atzeni, 5-2 fav);
2, Youllovemewheniwin (16-1); 3, Glamorous Force
(17-2). 11 ran. NR: Mashaan. ns, sh hd. R Eddery.
8.00 (6f) 1, Designer (David Egan, 7-2); 2, Secret
Strength (17-2); 3, Sisters In The Sky (4-1). 8 ran.
NR: Jungle Run. 1Kl, 1Ol. J Butler.
8.30 (1m 7f 218yd) 1, Caldwell (Hollie Doyle, 9-2);
2, Catbird Seat (13-8 fav); 3, Smith (13-2). 7 ran. 4Ol, nk.
M Scudamore.
Placepot: £16.60. Quadpot: £12.80.at first fence’
Luke Harvey analyst, reporter
I was still in possession of a fringe when I
first rode in the Grand National in 1987
aboard 500-1 chance Spartan Orient. After
getting along famously over Becher’s
Brook, the partnership quickly turned sour and we
acrimoniously divorced at the 12th fence.
Fast forward to 2017 and as part of the ITV racing
team I was given the role of interviewing the winning
jockey, Derek Fox, and was genuinely more excited and
nervous than when I was actually riding in the race
myself.
In front of millions of ITV viewers, Fox gave me
chapter and verse on how he’d won the world’s greatest
race on One For Arthur but because his Sligo accent
was so strong, I couldn’t actually understand a single
word.
When he paused for breath, as quick as a flash I
responded by saying: ‘Thanks so much Derek it sounds
brilliant’.
SIX LEADING IRISH
HOPES FOR THE
GRAND NATIONALMinella Times
(Henry de Bromhead)He is 15lb higher in the
handicap now than he
was when he created
history last year, but he
won with lots in hand,
he obviously loves the
fences and the track,
and you know that his
trainer will have him
primed, as he did last
year.Delta Work
(Gordon Elliott)A top-class staying
chaser, he battled on
bravely to win the
Cross-Country Chase at
Cheltenham last month,
a race that his trainer
Gordon Elliott has used
as a springboard to
Grand National victory
three times in the past.Enjoy D’Allen
(Ciaran Murphy)Third in the Irish Grand
National last year, he
ran a big race to finish
third in the Paddy
Power Chase at
Leopardstown over
Christmas, and he ran
well over hurdles last
time, which should put
him spot on.Any Second Now
(Ted Walsh)He is 7lb higher in the
handicap than he was
last year when he
finished third, but he
was very unlucky last
year. Badly hampered
at the 12th fence, he did
remarkably well to get
back into the race, and
you know that his
trainer, who won the
race with Papillon in
2000, will have had this
race as his target for
the past 12 months.Noble Yeats
(Emmet Mullins)As a seven-year-old, he
is younger than ideal,
but he is a progressive
young chaser who stays
well and who has the
potential to go well
beyond his Grand
National handicap
rating of 147.Longhouse Poet
(Martin Brassil)A high-class novice
chaser last season, he
stayed on well to win
the Thyestes Chase at
Gowran Park in
January, a race that has
been a good pointer to
the Grand National in
the past, and trainer
Martin Brassil won the
Grand National
in 2006 with
Numbersixvalverde,
also a Thyestes Chase
winner.By Donn McClean4
grade one wins for
amateur rider Sam Waley-
Cohen, who will retire from
the saddle after riding
Noble Yeats in the
Grand NationalCAROLINE NORRIS/INPHO/SHUTTERSTOCKRussell dreaming big
as Ahoy Senor sails in
more of a speed test today. I’m very happy with the way
he’s run at the end of a busy season, and I’m delighted
for Lucinda [Russell].”
Bravemansgame had bypassed the
Cheltenham Festival and was sent off the
11-8 favourite. However, he produced a
tame display to finish last of the four
runners and Paul Nicholls, his trainer, said:
“He hasn’t run his race. It was the end of a
long season, I suppose. Harry said he was very
keen going down and very keen in the first part
of the race, he wouldn’t switch off.
“If he’d have jumped the second-last upsides
and got beaten I’d have thought ‘fair enough’ but
Harry said he was beaten turning in. I haven’t
been hiding it: some of ours have been
disappointing in the spring, some have run well
and some haven’t and that wasn’t his true form.
With a good summer out he’ll be back next
season.”
Fakir D’Oudairies, the 10-11 favourite, repeated
last year’s easy success in the grade one Marsh
Chase in similar fashion as he pulled clear
from Hitman with the minimum of fuss.
Joseph O’Brien, his trainer, said: “He
turns up and runs his race every day.
He’s a good jumper and he makes
my life very easy. He’s a special
horse.
“It’s very special to come to
these big meetings, whatever
code they are under, and to
be able to have nice horses
who run well in the good races,
so long may it last.”S
cottish trainer Lucinda Russell was ecstatic after
saddling 4-1 shot Ahoy Senor to an emphatic
success in a small but select field for the grade
one Betway Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree
yesterday.
Ahoy Senor had been well beaten by L’Homme
Presse at the Cheltenham Festival last month but
jumping errors hampered his cause there and he was
much more assured as he made all the running to beat
Irish raider Fury Road by five lengths yesterday, with
L’Homme Presse only third.
“At Cheltenham he learnt what he was supposed to
be doing and he just showed it today,” Russell said.
“This is a fantastic way to end his novice season. When
he goes left-handed he jumps slightly right, and when
he went right-handed he jumped slightly left, so it’s just
his way of sorting things out for himself. He’s got so
much power: you see the way he jumped the last fence.
“Derek [Fox, his jockey] knows him inside out and
rides him all the time at home. He lives and breathes
[horses]. He may not be the easiest for the press to talk
to, but he’s so good with the horses; his whole world is
horses. He’s already planned out this horse’s season —
you can guess, but it will end up with the Gold Cup. I
hope so anyway; God willing that he is all fine after
today. It’s the dream again, isn’t it?
“I love Aintree, always have done. It’s magic — when
I drove in yesterday, I can’t help it, you feel the spirits of
everyone past and present. It’s a lovely place.”
Russell’s partner is the former champion jockey
Peter Scudamore and he said: “This horse
makes the odd mistake; I thought he only
made one mistake, basically, at Cheltenham.
You are dealing with an elite athlete; I just
wanted him to prove it. That’s why I get
emotional about it. He’s as good as I’ve
come across.
“The extra distance for the Gold Cup
won’t be against him. We are small fish
amongst big fish; dealing with a horse of this
nature is an immense privilege.”
Ahoy Senor is now a best-priced 12-1 with
Coral to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup next
March.
“He was very impressive around here last year,”
Fox said. “It looked a good race on paper and
he has done well to win the way he did. He
is still learning on the job but he has loads
of natural ability and he kept galloping
away. It is brilliant.”
Venetia Williams, trainer of L’Homme
Presse, was not too downhearted as her
stable star suffered a first defeat over
fences. “It’s horses for courses,” she said.
“I’m not going to take anything away
from the winner, who put up a
blistering performance, but this wasROB WRIGHT
RACING EDITORAhoy Senor, the 4-1 shot, eased to victory in the Betway
Mildmay Novices’ Chase on Ladies Day at Aintree, belowYesterday’s racing results