Aintree Saturday

THE Grade 2 Many Clouds Chase provided one of the main talking points of the weekend as Grand National hero Noble Yeats (Emmet Mullins/Sean Bowen) put himself firmly in the reckoning for Gold Cup glory with a remarkable finishing burst to win this contest.

Having looked held in third between the final two fences as Dashel Drasher (Jeremy Scott/Rex Dingle) and Ahoy Senor (Lucinda Russell/Derek Fox) battled for supremacy, he suddenly shot forward to lead at the final fence and kept on well to register a three-and-a-quarter-length win over that pair, who continued to tussle to the line, with Dashel Drasher holding second by a head.

Stamina for three miles and a furlong is clearly not an issue for Noble Yeats, who was very much kept under wraps until Aintree last season, but is that rare gift of a Grand National winner who is still progressing.

Given Ahoy Senor was again unconvincing at his early fences, and Dashel Drasher was unproven at the trip, it’s easy enough to pick holes in the form, but the bottom line is, the winner has stepped up on his last two starts and must be regarded as a top-class staying chaser.

“They went a good gallop and probably softened each other up in front” said Emmet Mullins of the way the race unfolded. “Luckily we were there with stamina in abundance and Noble Yeats has come through and picked up the pieces.

“We were very hopeful after his lovely run at Wexford, to just get us back on track. It’s another step up the ladder and he seems to be progressing all the time.

“Everything’s a possibility and we won’t rule anything in or out today, and get him home to see how he takes it.”

Skelton boys Becher stars

THE big televised chases of the winter are hard to win, so credit must go to Dan Skelton and team for annexing three such prizes in the last few weeks, with Ashtown Lad adding the Becher Chase to wins for Le Milos in the Coral Gold Cup and Protektorat in the Betfair Chase on preceding weekends.

As with the aforementioned winners, Ashtown Lad – a 5/1 chance – was ridden by Skelton’s brother Harry, who doesn’t stint on the celebrations, with hands out in an aeroplane passing the line.

He had every right to be proud of this victory, though, having coaxed Ashtown Lad to produce a very likeable display of jumping over the big fences while able to fill him up through the race so that he was able to see things out much better than the front-runners.

Cloth Cap and Snow Leopardess gave their backers plenty of optimism as they bowled along at the head of affairs, but the pace was not a soft one, and while they were both in the van at the penultimate fence, their exertions told, and neither made the frame.

Restraint

The race was therefore set up for those ridden with more restraint, and it must have been tempting for the winning jockey to kick on earlier, as his mount continually made ground in the air to improve his position.

Ashtown Lad had a comfortable two and a quarter lengths to spare over Grand Sefton runner-up Gesskille (Ollie Greenall & Josh Guerriero/Henry Brooke), who ran on well from the rear to show himself a possible Aintree specialist.

Percussion (Laura Morgan/Gavin Sheehan) lost his place before plugging on well in the closing stages for third, having filled the same spot in the Grand Sefton.

It’s clear from the placings that separating the Becher and the Grand Sefton (both previously run on this card) is a clever idea, and all of those who made the frame will likely be back in the spring, for all the placed pair would need to improve their ratings to qualify for the Grand National itself.

Pic D’Orhy pleases

Huntingdon Sunday

THE Grade 2 Peterborough Chase looked competitive enough on paper, but Pic D’Orhy (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden) was dominant on the day until being closed down after the last, with his two-length victory over Millers Bank (Alex Hales/Kielan Woods) no real reflection of his jumping performance in particular.

The 9/4 shot was soon much shorter in the run as he outjumped his rivals, and he was entitled to get tired after his rider made an early bid for glory.

Cobden could be accused of going too soon, but he utilised his mount’s main strength by pressing on in the back straight, which piled pressure on rivals already struggling to match him in the air. In putting First Flow to the sword early in the straight, he allowed Millers Bank to close him down after the last, but defeat never appeared a possibility. This was a pleasing performance with the future in mind.

Pic D’Orhy was gaining a third success at Grade 2 level by winning the Peterborough, and he’s suited by the tactical nature of such races. Whether he could be as effective thrown into a King George is open to serious doubt, while he is also best away from deep ground, which also limits his options.

That said, there are plenty of races in the calendar for him, with the Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton an obvious fit, while the tendency of the best horses to avoid a hard race in February means something like the Ascot Chase would give him a chance at Grade 1 level.

Round-up

IRISH trainers are popping up at various mid-week meetings and Charles Byrnes and Philip Byrnes landed the Wlliam Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Novices’ Hurdle over two and a half miles at Leicester on Wednesday with 4/1 shot Grozni prevailing by a short head.

The duo were denied a mid-week double at Taunton on Thursday by none other than Gordon Elliott. Ellliot’s Posiedon and Sean Bowen beat the Byrnes’ odds-on chance Wajaaha in the opening seller.