Ten To Follow Update 12.04.2019

Posted 2 years ago

Aintree Festival Ten to Follow Update

  • Tiger Roll becomes the first horse since Red Rum to win successive Grand Nationals
  • Min romps home for a 20-length victory in the JLT Chase
  • Kalashnikov bounces back for team Amy Murphy

Grand National Thursday

The Aintree action started on Thursday with the first of four Grade 1 races, the Devenish Manifesto Novices’ Chase. La Bague Au Roi and Richard Johnson went off as favourite, but it was Kalashnikov who came out on top scoring 55 points for 94 teams. Nicky Henderson was next to fire as Pentland Hills made it two Grade 1 victories in a row, beating Fakir D’oudairies by just a neck and scoring 55 points for player Ray Bown.

The Betway Bowl Chase saw four runners from the Cheltenham Gold Cup return to racecourse action. This time Irish raider Kemboy managed to get a clear run of things and won emphatically by nine lengths. The final Grade 1 of the day was the Betway Aintree Hurdle where Buveur D’Air was looking to return to winning ways after falling at Cheltenham. However, Supasundae stayed on gamely to claim the prize, denying the favourite and securing 55 points for 10 teams.

The final two point scoring races of the day were the Red Rum Handicap Chase and the Goffs UK Flat Race. The first was won impressively by Moon Over Germany and Rachael Blackmore, and the latter by The Glancing Queen and jockey Wayne Hutchinson.

Ladies Day #FabulousFriday

Friday’s racing started with a Jack Kennedy, Gordon Elliott double as Three Musketeers and Felix Desjy both ran well to win their races. 

The Grade 1 Novices’ Chase was next and Topofthegame lined up as odds on favourite after his win in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham. However, Lostintranslation seemed to relish the step up in trip as he quickly pulled clear in the final stages to win by a comfortable six lengths. This result scored 55 points for 19 Ten To Follow teams. The following Grade 1 JLT Chase saw one of the performances of the week as Min put in a fantastic display to leave the high-class field all running for second place, scoring 55 points for 13 teams.

The Topham Chase made it a quick-fire double for Willie Mullins as Cadmium made virtually all to win comfortably by six lengths. The Doom Bar Sefton Novices’ Hurdle was the penultimate race of the day and saw Champ return to winning ways for Nicky Henderson scoring 55 point for two players. The final race was the Weatherbys Racing Bank Bumper and McFabulous justified favouritism to win by a length scoring 50 points for five teams.

Grand National Day

Grand National day started with a Grade 3 winner for team Skelton as Aux Ptits Soins stayed on well to win by over four lengths. The next race provided another winner for Colin Tizzard when Reserve Tank proved he had plenty in the tank to win the Betway Mersey Novices’ Hurdle. The third race of the day saw Davy Russell get his first winner of the Saturday as Ornua made all to take the Grade 1 prize.

The Ryanair Stayers Hurdle gave Apple’s Jade the chance to try and return to form after a disappointing Cheltenham. The Gigginstown mare was well backed and went off 5/6 favourite, but it was Harry Fry’s If The Cap Fits that managed to get his head in front to beat Mares’ Hurdle winner Roksana by just a head, leaving Apple’s Jade in a very close third. This result scored 55 points for 21 Ten to Follow teams. Kildisart won the second Grade 3 of the day for trainer Ben Pauling and jockey Daryl Jacob, and then it was time for the main event, the Randox Health Grand National.

The eyes of the world were on Aintree for the biggest horse racing event of the year, and after his brilliant display at Cheltenham the dream of the Tiger Roll Grand National double was very much alive. It wasn’t a done deal with the likes of Rathvinden, Anibale Fly and Jury Duty all popular in the betting, but Tiger Roll did start as hot favourite at 4/1. The pint-sized horse from Ireland didn’t disappoint as he and jockey Davy Russell stayed well positioned throughout the race, before pushing clear on the run towards the elbow and staying on well to beat Magic Of Light into second and Rathvinden into third. This second win in the National scored 45 points for 12 Ten to Follow teams.

The top of the leader board couldn’t be closer as Johnathan Nuttall and Paul Timms are tied in first place with 545 points apiece, previous leader Penny Waddell is in third place with 520 points. The full standings can be viewed here

 

Position    Name & Team Team Score
1 Johnathan Nuttall (11) 545
1 Paul Timms (5)

545

3 Penny Waddell (6)

520

4 Alan Wellsteed (10) 490
4 Derek Latham (2) 490
4 Grenville Davies (4) 490
7 Alan Jones (1) 480
8 Peter Farley (7) 475
9 Phil Stubbs (9) 465
10 Paul Stacey (4) 455
11 Mrs Fitch & Mr Dixon (1)

435