Aintree reports and free video replays | Caldwell Potter follows up Cheltenham success

Paul Nicholls has won this Grade 1 with some top performers in the past and the expensively purchased Caldwell Potter added his name to the list having found his mojo this spring but the form of this race will always have an asterisk.

Harry Cobden jumped Caldwell Potter out in front in a repeat of the tactics that had worked so well at the Cheltenham Festival and the grey again jumped superbly, in the main, with his rivals quite well spread out behind.

Outsider Don't Rightly Know pulled up before the ninth but the real drama came deep into the race when Dancing City fell, bringing down his well-backed stablemate Quai De Bourbon and severely hampering Handstands whose race was effectively over at that point.

That left Caldwell Potter in front of The Changing Man with Jordans creeping into it. The Changing Man was the next to blunder his chance away but Jordans looked a huge threat approaching the last when Cobden asked Caldwell Potter for a big leap and he responded brilliantly, taking a length out of his rival and keeping on well to win by a length and a quarter.

A jubilant Nicholls told Racing TV: "It took us a while to work out how to train him and I've had 10 days of sleepless nights trying to get him right. Intermittently lame, it's not a big problem but it's his feet so we did things a little bit differently. The whole team, especially my head lad Clifford Baker, deserves a lot of credit and we got him right.

"I thought he'd get three miles and he did and the future is great for him; we've got to look after him. Jumping wins these races and he galloped on strong; I think as he gets stronger he'll get the trip even better.

"Very, very special horse and we were confident that he would go very well today. Now we've found the key, we need to keep that key and we'll look forward to next year with him. We’ve got so much to come from him in the future. We could look at things like the Betfair Chase. He needs to go left-handed, probably.

"It’s fantastic for these guys, with John Hales up there who had the balls to buy him after they lost Hermes Allen and brought all his mates in - he’s a cheap horse now, isn’t he? "

Cobden added: "He was brilliant, travelled well and jumped brilliantly. He wasn't in the same form as Cheltenham. I was on fumes from a long way out and I managed to nurse him over the second last and he was very brave at the last, winged the last and I thought that sealed the deal for us. A very tough horse."

'Sir Gino is winning but we're going to catch up'

The form of the Michael O'Sullivan Supreme Novices' Hurdle came to the fore as Salvator Mundi (7/2) and Romeo Coolio dominated the equivalent Grade 1.

Romeo Coolio had finished third at Cheltenham, some 11 lengths in front of Salvator Mundi in fifth, but punters latched onto the Dovecote winner Tripoli Flyer for the TrustATrader Top Novices' Hurdle but his jumping went to pieces and the 7/4 favourite was never competitive.

Romeo Coolio jumped off in front under Sam Ewing but Salvator Mundi, racing without the hood he wore last month, always had him in his sights.

Hurdling and travelling better than at Prestbury Park, Salvator Mundi was alongside the leader at the second last and last with Townend still holding tight onto his reins and the jockey didn't push the button until the pair had safely negotiated the final obstacle.

The response was instant as Salvator Mundi left his rival behind to win by seven lengths.

A length away in third was Karbau, a stablemate of the winner who had been beaten 57 lengths in the same Cheltenham contest.

Trainer Willie Mullins said: "We bought him after he was second to Sir Gino in Auteuil and Joe and Marie Donnelly have ended up owning them both. There's been a competition to see who is best and at the moment Sir Gino is winning but we're going to catch up I think."

“His work at home has been very good," he continued. "I was disappointed that it had taken him this long to win a Grade 1, but we changed tactics a little bit today and decided to let him get at it, and I think it worked finally.

“They went a really good pace and Paul got him settled. He jumped well - just a little bit to the right up the straight, but Paul felt that he was correcting himself. That’s a good sign that he was able to think about that when galloping at speed.

“He thinks he’s faster than he is - that’s what goes on in his head - but he’s learning to settle and with more racing he’ll settle and he’ll be better.”

The winning rider added: “I won’t lie, over the first and around the bend I was a bit worried - I’d set out to make more use of him, but when he was settled where he was I stayed there. Cheltenham probably didn’t suit him as much as here. We know he has a big engine - he disappointed us at Cheltenham, to be honest, and I wanted to disprove that he wasn’t good enough. He was back to himself here, fast ground suited him.”

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Romeo Coolio, said: “He ran a great race. The ground would be as quick as he wants it but the winner was very good. I would imagine he won’t do much more this season and he is horse to go chasing with next year.”

It's all about Mee in the Topham

Irish trained runners filled the top five places in the Randox Supporting Prostate Cancer UK Topham Handicap Chase so it was, perhaps, no surprise that the winner was trained by Mullins.

The Closutton handler ran three and it was the least fancied of the trio in the market, Gentleman De Mee (14/1) who came out on top after a patient ride from Mark Walsh.

Spare a thought, though, for runner-up Lisnamult Lad who was severely hampered by a loose horse on the run to The Elbow and only went down fighting in a thrilling finish. The difference between defeat and victory was just three quarters of a length.

Seven lengths away there was also a fine battle for the places with The Goffer taking third ahead of Amirite and last year's runner-up James Du Berlais, trained, like the winner, by Mullins.

Fantastic Lady had also finished second in a previous renewal and she was in the process of running a big race when making a calamitous mistake which nearly catapulted James Bowen out of the side door. However, Callum Pritchard, riding the Dreal Deal, gave his colleague a helping hand and pulling Bowen back towards the saddle and, after a stride or two, Bowen was able to regain his balance and keep the partnership intact.

David Casey, assistant to Mullins, said: "He's always been a decent horse, he really likes spring ground and spring weather and comes alive at this time of year.

"He ran well at Navan last time out. The step up in trip has really helped him. He was free-going in his early days but he's relaxing much better now. Delighted, it worked out great and a fabulous ride.

"It's a great team effort obviously and I'm glad it's working out."

Walsh added: "I missed the start, he stood at the start a little bit, but it actually suited because they went such a strong gallop they came back to me in front. I wanted to be handier but I was out the back and had to go to Plan D; you just ride them as you find them and he just jumped so well he got himself into a position turning to the second last and luckily enough a gap opened up on the inside and I was able to squeeze down there.

"His jumping was class. He was making lengths at fences. He winged fences everywhere. He was a joy to ride."

Johnny Burke was not claiming that the loose horse, Ash Tree Meadow, had cost him the race when interfering with Lisnamult Lad on the run-in, but the margin of defeat was narrow and it hadn’t helped.

He said: “It cost me a bit of momentum I suppose, but when we got to the Elbow he ran straight and I’d say we were just beaten by a class horse.

“He’d given me a hell of a spin. It just took me a couple of fences to trust him and to know his limits, but he was very accurate at the take offs and landings and very measured. At the last I thought we had it, but it’s a long way to the line. I’m gutted that it didn’t come off, but he can come back here again.”

Ironically, it was Keith Donoghue, the brother of Lisnamult Lad’s trainer Ian, who had parted company with Ash Tree Meadow a long way from home.

Ian Donoghue joked: “We’ll blame Keith for that, as the one that got in our way was the one he fell off! But it was a great run and he’s a smashing horse who gave us our first Cheltenham winner (at the October meeting).

“I was very confident he’d run a big race and be bang there, and I’m delighted for his owner Matt Rogers, who is at home but also had Break My Soul fourth in the Grade 1 yesterday.

“This is where we want to be. We are a small team and we are lucky that Matt’s backing us. At least we are coming here and nearly getting the results, so we are proving we can train them.”

Arch plan comes off for Jackdaws Castle team

Wellington Arch (14/1) and Jonjo O'Neill Jr gave their rivals the slip in the William Hill Handicap Hurdle.

The field in this competitive two and a half mile handicap were well bunched at the top of the home straight with three flights to jump. Wellington Arch led them into that hurdle and had been in, or close to, the lead throughout.

The runners spread out across the track as they looked to play their cards but O'Neill Jr had already played his, gradually increasing the tempo and catching his rivals out, heading into the final flight with an advantage of about six lengths.

Favour And Fortune had been the first to give chase but wasn't making any inroads quickly and the biggest threat came from Kopeck De Mee. The talk of the Cheltenham Festival was sent off a short-price for the Martin Pipe but jumped poorly from a prominent pitch and was beaten over 50 lengths.

It was a different story here as Kopeck De Mee settled sweetly towards the rear of the field for Walsh. The pair weaved their way through the pack in the straight and made up a huge amount of ground from the last but the hare just held on with Wellington Arch winning by a neck.

There were four lengths back to Favour And Fortune and another five to Impose Toi in fourth.

It was a third success of the season for Wellington Arch who has finished runner-up on his other three starts this season.

The winner was trained by AJ and Jonjo O'Neill and the latter said: "I thought he was going to get caught but luckily for us he hung on.

"He did everything well and it all went to plan. We had the race in mind but we were the last one in and thought it was going to be tomorrow in the two mile; sometimes these plans go right and it's great.

"Hopefully he will make up into a nice chaser but he's done his job today so we'll enjoy today."

The winning jockey thought his mount was only doing enough in front, saying: “If Kopeck De Mee had got to me a bit earlier I think Wellington Arch would have gone on again, it’s just that he came so late, but we got the job done and I’m very happy.

"We hit the cross-bar at Cheltenham; Aintree has been lucky for us in the past but we haven’t had a winner at this festival for a long time - it’s actually my first winner at this meeting - and it’s really good to get Dad and AJ and the team at Jackdaws a winner here; they’ve worked really hard this year and it’s great to repay them."

Mullins said of the second: "He ran as well as I thought he would. It was a really good run.”

Julius rules the Sefton

It looked for all the world as though the O'Neills were going to complete a high profile double as O'Neill Jr looked across at a hard at work Nico de Boinville not once but twice in the closing stages of the Grade 1 Oddschecker Sefton Novices' Hurdle.

The jockey hadn't moved on Mister Meggit at that stage and oozed confidence. He moved into a clear lead on the run to the last but Mister Meggit, on just his second start over hurdles, made a calamitous error and lost momentum.

The pack scented blood and swarmed the floundering Mister Meggit who did pick up but couldn't repel the challengers. Julius Des Pictons (14/1) swept past and proved strongest, pulling two lengths clear of 50/1 chance Minella Rescue with Crest On Fortune half a length away and edging out Mister Meggit for third by a nose.

Julius Des Pictons is trained by Jamie Snowden, who saddled the big priced runner-up in the mares' bumper on Thursday, and ridden by Gavin Sheehan.

He was winning for the third time since joining the stable from France and appeared to relish the step up to three miles having been third in a two mile Listed race at Exeter on his previous outing.

Julius Des Pictons' win was a first Grade 1 for Snowden who said: "It's our first Grade 1 and to do it for these guys [owners] is brilliant; Grade 1s are very hard to come by.

"We’ve been placed in plenty of them and had Cheltenham Festival winners but that’s very special. It’s a great team of guys to do it for too, and David Wigan (one of owners The Footie Partnership) has been a huge supporter of ours. It’s great that Gavin was on board too. It’s brilliant. There’s no finer man!

"“That was incredible. He’s a properly nice horse. We’d been campaigning him mainly over two and two and a half miles this season but then the better ground came along. His stamina was a bit of an unknown but he’s bred for it and he stayed well, although the final fifty yards was a long way."

Sheehan said: "That was amazing. It felt like I was behind the bridle most of the race but he stuck at it.

"The only time I was able to get a breather into him was just leaving the back straight, going around that bend. The race just developed for me all the way up the straight, opened up and was there too soon."

Saint answers Skelton's prayers

After five seconds this Festival, Dan Skelton could finally celebrate a winner after She's A Saint (25/1) swept past Celtic Dino and Slugger to win the Hallgarten And Novum Wines Handicap Hurdle.

The well supported favourite Celtic Dino had battled his way to the lead where alongside him was the smooth-travelling Slugger who doesn't find as much off the bridle as would appear likely. In fairness to Slugger, he did get the better of a sustained duel with the market leader but neither were a match for the mare.

She's A Saint was having her first run since May of last year and only her second since March 2023 but she hadn't forgotten how to race, holding her own in the hurly burly of the finish before Tristan Durrell pulled her out for room at which point she quickened smartly.

The winning distances were three and a quarter lengths and a head.

For owners Estate Research Pc Limited it was a success tinged with memories, both good and bad, having seen their Pikar lose his life in this very race 12 months ago when falling at the second last when in contention.

Skelton said: “I had a conversation with the two owners about an hour ago, and while I wasn’t saying we definitely shouldn’t run on the ground I wasn’t convinced it was going to suit her. To be fair to these two they’ve been super patient. Deciding to run today is down to them and I take my hat off to them.

“I’m so proud of her. It just shows what can happen when you give them a bit of time when it’s needed. And she’s got a great ride off Tristan as they’ve gone very hard in front. There’s been a bit of knocking on the woodwork this week, but that’s great.”

Durrell said: “Absolutely brilliant. I was a bit worried she might be rusty after having a year off the track, but she’s got so much ability and her form’s shown that. It’s nice for her to bounce back today and show everyone how good she is.

“Credit to the owners, because we were unsure about the ground for her after she had that injury, but the owners wanted to run and thank God they did. She’s come back safe and she’s won the race, so credit to them and thanks to them for putting me up.

“I waited so long with her round the bend to try to get her to finish; from the back of the last I knew I was just picking up and getting them, but it’s such a long way from the back of the last. I knew I was sort of picking them up.

“It’s an amazing team. Harry and Dan both gave me a hug coming back in and it means everything. I’ve been there nearly eight years now, since I left school, so moments like this mean a lot.”

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