WHILE most outsiders are aware that Cheltenham now runs for four days, Aintree really still means just the one race, the Randox Grand National, on the one day, Saturday.

However, as the meeting began last Thursday week there was an immediate connection to the sport horse world when the 2/1 shot Banbridge won the opening five-runner Racehorse Lotto Manifesto Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) under J.J. Slevin.

Trained by the jockey’s cousin Joseph O’Brien, a European pony eventing bronze medallist before embarking on his hugely successful racing career in the saddle and as a trainer, the seven-year-old Doyen gelding was bred in west Co Dublin by former show jumper Danielle McSorley.

Banbridge, who is out of the Presenting mare Old Carton Lass, point-to-pointed in the colours of Wilson Dennison, host of the annual Northern Region autumn one-day event at Loughanmore, but, since switching to the racecourse, has run for Scotland’s Ronnie Bartlett, owner of Mark Kyle’s London Olympics ride, Coolio.

Also on Thursday, Virginia Considine’s former charge Shishkin bounced back to form to win the Alder Hey Aintree Bowl Chase (Grade 1) while Famous Clermont, who started his career off at Donnchadh Doyle’s yard at the family’s famed Monbeg nursery in Ballindaggin, Co Wexford, landed the Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase.

Winners of the Randox Grand National in 2021 with the J.P. McManus-owned Minella Times, jockey Rachael Blackmore, who it has been well document was involved in all equestrian sports before embarking on her racing career, and trainer Henry de Bromhead teamed up to win with Dancing On My Own on Thursday and with Inthepocket the following afternoon.

When Rachael dropped her whip after the final flight in that Poundland Top Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) on Friday, she had to resort to another method to encourage the Blue Bresil gelding Inthepocket. “What she does then is get both reins in one hand and flick them over and back on the horse’s neck to use them as something to help the horse go forward,” said Racing TV pundit Ruby Walsh. “You can see her as she’s going to the line, flicking the reins left to right. She used to play pony games when she was young and that’s a real Pony Club trick.”