Bravemansgame is a superb jumper of a fence

Aintree Friday: Trainer quotes | Ahoy Senor and Bravemansgame all set for Aintree rematch

By Sporting Life

16:36 · THU April 07, 2022

Ahoy Senor will bid to gallop – and jump – his rivals into submission in the Betway Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree on Friday.

Though there are just four runners in the Grade One contest, the three-mile-one-furlong affair promises to be one of the highlights of the jumps season.

The Lucinda Russell-trained Ahoy Senor will bid to turn the tables on Bravemansgame and L’Homme Presse, having suffered defeat at the hands of each in his last two outings.

Peter Scudamore, Russell’s partner and assistant, acknowledges the seven-year-old will need to be at the top of his game to overturn the form that saw him beaten seven and a half lengths by Bravemansgame at Kempton on Boxing Day, and three and a half lengths by L’Homme Presse at Cheltenham

“The other two are great jumpers, ours is a great galloper, but it is a jumping race and we have to get our jumping together,” said Scudamore.

“You have to be concerned. The better they are the more you worry about them.

“We are just beginning to get these better horses and it is more of a worry. You don’t have the good horses that Paul (Nicholls) and Gordon (Elliott) have got and it is anxious times, only because you care about them.”

Ahoy Senor got the better of Bravemansgame in the Grade One Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at this meeting 12 months ago and showed he was a force to be reckoned with over fences when when taking the Grade Two John Francome Novices’ Chase at Newbury in November.

Though he lost his unbeaten record at Kempton, he bounced back with an impressive win the Towton at Wetherby before L’Homme Presse had his measure in testing ground at Cheltenham.

Scudamore is delighted the trio will meet for the first time and added: “It is what racing is all about – the best taking on the best.

“We have probably the three best three-mile novice chasers in the country and it is fantastic for Aintree.

“I never thought the race would quite cut up like that, but we have been lucky.

“I just hope they all come back safe and sound. As long as it is safe ground, we should all be happy.

“We have to accept now and again we get beat. We are not Flat racing. National Hunt racing is a sport and while that sounds a bit blase, I am definitely nervous in the hope he comes back OK.

“He seems well after Cheltenham and all the rest of it. We’d love to see that these horses will go on and be the future, so let’s hope they get there.”

Bravemansgame is seeking to retain his unbeaten record over fences after swerving a clash with the pair at Cheltenham.

Nicholls was less than thrilled after Cheltenham officials watered the ground, only to see the heavens open on day two, eventually turning conditions heavy.

Chasing a 13th trainers’ title, the Ditcheat handler feels he has the advantage of a fresh horse following his cosy success at Newbury, conceding upwards of 16lb in landing a Limited Handicap in February.

“He hasn’t put a foot wrong all season, is unbeaten in four starts, has plenty of speed and his jumping has been mustard from day one,” Nicholls reported on his Betfair blog.

“Heavy ground put paid to our plans to take him to Cheltenham. I felt he had a big chance there but when conditions went against him it made sense to keep him for Aintree.

“It’s a bonus that Bravemansgame is fresh going to Aintree, a track that should play to his strengths, while two of his opponents had hard races at Cheltenham. I like to think he has a great chance.”

Connections of the bold-jumping L’Homme Presse have declared to run, but trainer Venetia Williams will make a final decision on Friday morning in the hope that conditions are soft enough for the dual Grade One winner.

“We want to run in what will be a marvellous race,” said co-owner Andy Edwards.

“However, if there is not enough juice in the ground when we get there on Friday, we won’t run.

“The ground must be safe for him, but fingers crossed the rain comes.”

Fury Road, who was well supported for the Stayers’ Hurdle last season, has also made a bright start to his chasing career.

Elliott’s eight-year-old, who won the Grade One Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas, completes the high-class quartet.

Banbridge steps up in distance and class at Aintree

Joseph O’Brien is hoping Aintree’s flat track will help Banbridge handle the step up to an extended three miles as he bids for Grade One glory in the Cavani Menswear Sefton Novices’ Hurdle.

Banbridge kept on strongly at Cheltenham to win the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle last time under Mark McDonagh.

JJ Slevin, who partnered the six-year-old to success on his penultimate start at Navan, returns to the plate on Friday, with O’Brien’s runner top-rated on a mark of 143.

“Banbridge is well,” said O’Brien. “It’s an open enough race and on paper he looks to have a good shout. If he gets the trip he has every chance.

“I was surprised to see he was top rated in it, but we won’t complain. He’s not guaranteed to stay, he’s always a good traveller and he won a couple of races at two miles this year, but Aintree will give him a chance to stay.”

Trainer Joseph O'Brien

Ahoy Senor beat Bravemansgame in a high-class renewal last year and future chasing diamonds are certain to be unearthed again this year.

Sam Thomas feels Skytastic, who justified favouritism twice when going two-from-two over hurdles, could be one of them.

The six-year-old bypassed Cheltenham after scoring over and extended two miles and three furlongs Ascot and while his South Glamorgan handler knows he faces a step up in class, he believes Skytastic warrants his opportunity.

“It was a good performance on soft ground at Ascot,” said Thomas.

“He is a horse whom we hope stays the trip and we are excited to be having a crack at a Grade One with him.

“This will probably be his last run over hurdles before we go novice chasing with him next season.

“The race has cut up a little bit, but it is still going to be a very competitive race and we are looking forward to it going there fit and well.

“He has only had two runs to be judged on, so a mark of 134 seems fair. We’d like to think he will turn into a much better chaser.

“It will be lovely, safe ground and they don’t have much racing on it, so as a jockey, you just looked forward to riding up there because the ground is beautiful.”

Nicky Richards is no stranger to Aintree success, having been responsible for the likes of the high-class chaser Monet’s Garden and Grade One-winning hurdler Faasel.

He hopes Crystal Glory, who chased home Hillcrest in the Grade Two Prestige Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock in February, can continue on an upward curve.

“He has done nothing wrong,” said the Penrith handler. “I think he is a progressive, improving horse and I don’t think we have seen the best of him.

“I thought he ran a lovely race behind Hillcrest, really. He ran a grand race, got the trip well on not very nice ground.

“I think the better ground will suit him nicely, so we are looking forward to it.

“It is a Grade One race at Aintree and they are never easy, but it is great to be in there with an improving horse.”

Title-chasing Paul Nicholls, who sent out Bravemansgame to finish second last year, relies on Gelino Bello, who was twice runner-up to Blazing Khal at Cheltenham before Christmas.

He warmed up for this race with an impressive nine-length victory in an extended two and-a-half-mile novice hurdle at Newbury last month.

Stag Horn

Green Book and Stag Horn, who both ran in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, lock horns again and there are four more last-time-out winners in the line-up.

One of those, Bowtogreatness, is co-owned by former Bournemouth, Tottenham and West Ham manager Harry Redknapp.

After two successive victories, at Ffos Las and Leicester, trainer Ben Pauling feels he is no back number stepping up in trip.

He said: “Bowtogreatness has done nothing wrong this year, but only in run-of-the-mill novice hurdles. He could not have been more impressive last time out.

“He was going to go to Cheltenham, but met with a setback – he knocked a joint.

“So we avoided Cheltenham and we come to a Grade One, and we are very much looking forward to seeing how he gets on.

“I’m hoping he will have a good each-way chance. He is in great order.”

Jonbon has top-level opportunity at Aintree

Hopes are high Jonbon can return to winning ways in the Betway Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree on Friday.

Having gained plenty of column inches before he had even taken to the track as brother to the brilliant Douvan, he won on his point-to-point debut and JP McManus was happy to go to £570,000 at the Goffs sales in November 2020.

To his credit, the Nicky Henderson-trained six-year-old has lived up to his tall reputation to date, with his only defeat coming at the hands of stablemate Constitution Hill who put up a jaw-dropping display in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last month.

Jonbon

Big-race jockey Aidan Coleman said: “He ran really well at Cheltenham, we were delighted with that. Constitution Hill looks pretty special, doesn’t he? So we were delighted. He was unbeaten and he beat the rest in the race fair and square.

“He had a very good season leading up to that, we’re hoping for a good run in another competitive race on Friday.

“It looks a very difficult contest in its own right, but Jonbon has had a great season and we’re hoping he can put up another good show again.

“It’s what he’s done all year.”

Assessing his chance, Henderson told Unibet: “He would get two and a half comfortably in our opinion, but he has the speed for two miles. He beat the rest of the field fair and square in the Supreme. You’d hope with no Constitution Hill, Jonbon would be the one to beat. The better the ground, the better he will be.”

Henderson also runs County Hurdle runner-up First Street, and added: “First Street ran a great race at Cheltenham to finish second in the County Hurdle, considering the winner (State Man) looked like a graded horse wrapped up in handicap clothes. We had no chance of beating that, but he still ran very well.”

State Man’s trainer Willie Mullins is represented by El Fabiolo, who has only had one run for the Closutton handler.

He was an easy winner at Tramore and was then due to run at the Dublin Racing Festival.

“He was very impressive in Tramore and then unfortunately got a knock on his way to the races for the Dublin Racing Festival and missed a bit of time,” said Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father.

“We decided Cheltenham was probably going to come a bit too soon so he takes his chance here.

“It’s a big step up all right, but he ran over hurdles in Auteuil and I think he’ll take it in his stride.”

Two prolific winners are available at big prices, Donald McCain’s A Different Kind and Chris Gordon’s Aucunrisque.

There are three further Irish-trained runners in Gordon Elliott’s Vina Ardanza, Peter Fahey’s Imperial Cup winner Suprise Package and Jonathan Fogarty’s Salamanca Bay.

Funambule Sivola continuing dream season in Marsh Chase

Funambule Sivola is looking to add to what has already been a breakthrough season when he runs in the Marsh Chase at Aintree on Friday.

Trained by Venetia Williams, the diminutive seven-year-old won the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury before outrunning his 40-1 odds to finish second to Energumene in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Bookmakers will not be so generous on Merseyside, with Funambule Sivola rated only 1lb lower officially than last year’s winner and favourite, Fakir D’oudairies.

He is owned by the My Racing Manager Friends syndicate, run by Elli Morgan who admits she has been caught out by the seven-year-olds progression this season.

Funambule Sivola leads them over the last in the Game Spirit

“I was absolutely thrilled with him at Cheltenham and what a little horse he is,” she said.

“It almost felt a like a win at Cheltenham. Just before the race I’d said to Venetia that as long as he ran a good race, even if he came back seventh, if he came back safe I’d be happy and she agreed, saying it was incredible he was even in it.

“Then Shishkin was pulled up, a few fences later Chacun Pour Soi lost his jockey and coming to the last I thought we’d be at least third yet he battled on for second.

“He’s clearly still progressing, each of his last three runs have been better than the last and he’s still only seven, he was the youngest runner in the Queen Mother so we’ve hopefully a lot of years left with him.

“Some of the press coverage was a little disappointing as it was all about ‘what if Shishkin was there’ but you can’t have everything.”

Funambule Sivola is stepping back up in trip, but Morgan is not too concerned about that.

“When he ran at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day there was a lot of talk that he didn’t stay the trip, but that was a different test to this and at Huntingdon before that I thought he stayed on and he wasn’t 100 per cent fit for his first run due to a little setback,” she said.

“We know he’s run well at Aintree, I’d expect him to get the trip there so it just depends on everybody else.

“We weren’t expecting him to be in graded races this season to be honest, we did think he would be eventually, but maybe next season. He has given us so much this year we can’t be greedy.

“We’ve obviously got Fakir D’oudairies to beat and we keep meeting these star horses – it would be nice to not have them in it one day – but in a way it’s nice they are as you find out how good you are.

“As long as he comes back safe, that’s the main thing, we’ve still got next year to look forward to. He’s already exceeded our expectations this season.”

Fakir D’oudairies was an 11-length winner 12 months ago, having chased home Allaho in the Ryanair a month earlier.

Connections decided to avoid another clash with Willie Mullins’ charge, who duly routed the opposition in the Ryanair again, and Joseph O’Brien’s eight-year-old was placed well to win the Grade One Ascot Chase instead.

O’Brien said: “Fakir has a great chance hopefully. It’s a tough, competitive race, but he likes the course and distance.

“He ran very well in it last year and we’re excited to be going there again.”

Paul Nicholls runs both Hitman and Saint Calvados and feels they both hold similar claims.

“I can’t split them and it was almost down to a toss of a coin that Bryony (Frost) rides Hitman with Harry (Cobden) on Saint Calvados,” he told Betfair.

“I retain plenty of faith in Hitman who ran very well when third to Protektorat at Aintree a year ago and has come up a touch short in top company this season. While he is not quite the real deal yet, he’s lightly raced and I’m sure there is more to come from him.

“I didn’t want to take on Allaho with him at Cheltenham and feel the Melling Chase over two and a half miles on a flat track is a much better option.

“Saint Calvados has had his issues but ran well for a long way in the King George on his first start for us, then hated the heavy ground when pulled up at Ascot.

“He has to improve but looks like getting the drier conditions at Aintree that he needs and will be much happier racing left-handed. He seems in good form at home.”

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.

Like what you've read?