So how does Aintree they stack up today in my other categories and can they pick up some of the prestigious gongs going about. The paddock is situated a bit too far from the stands really but is a nice tranquil setting. No trees visible though so no chance of picking up silverware as the race enters its final stages Plumpton looks to have this right in their sweaty Germans. The stands have been all renovated and they look brilliant. The Earl Of Derby and Lord Sefton stands with their head on down the straight vista, proximity to the national start and flanking the walkway to the winner’s enclosure make this the perfect position to be in if you want to get here for the really big meeting in April. The old County Stand retains its open top terrace and is a super old building enabling Aintree to retain its heritage. The new Princess Royal stand has several concourses and a nice lounge with access to a balcony overlooking the last furlong and The Chair.
Enclosures were not demarcated today and I am not sure if I was entitled to but I didn’t find anywhere bar some pre-booked restaurants or some hospitality specific boxes anywhere off limits. This made it a great day with none of the fussing around that some tracks love to perpetuate. Stand names are to be honest pretty safe and based around upper crust aficionados of the game so no prizes for making me enquire ‘what’s that all about?’
Architecture is a strong suit here. Either the modern structures or the old fashion County would be good examples. However the old winner’s enclosure / weighing room is the centre of much Grand National folklaw. It could have been washed away in the tide of modernisation when it was re positioned and the area turned into hardcourt for burger vans. But instead it has been turned into the Winners’ Bar. It retained all the facade of the previous building and is a feature which looks sympathetic to my eye. This puts it right up there with Ripon for my category award.
Artefacts abound, there are a few dotted around however the one that takes the eye most is the statue of Red Rum. It is first of all a decent bronze on a nice plinth. What sets it apart from other horse tributes is the fact that it is in a very nice quite lawn where you can have a bit of peace and quiet. So I liked this more than most I have seen. However for impact I still have Goodwood’s bizarre head as leader with only two courses left to visit.
Red Rum
Aintree is exactly where the course is and as it is also called Liverpool in some papers the name could not be more descriptive of its location. It is dead easy to find being motorway almost to the Ormskirk Road. It has great public transport links including a railway station just across the way. There are no excuses in using your car and I strongly urge you to consider using public transport if you intend to come to the Grand National meeting. The entrance to the course is OK nothing too out of the ordinary but not dowdy. In the past I have struggled to get anywhere near Aintree for parking but today there was access to the free parking by the second last. This made for a short walk to the entrance. I thought this would be Aintree’s Achilles Heel but not at all. The food and drink available was very good. I had a turkey casserole and mash for less than £4 and it was hot and very tasty with plenty of meat. The burger van foot was substantial and the burgers had thick beef in them. The cup of tea was OK and at least you had real milk on offer, could have been hotter and stronger though. So all in all pretty good effort on the food and drink front.
There were no water features that I could see. The communication was OK in terms of the PA but the racecard was a bit pricey at £3 for what it was. The Freemans consists of the fact that the free car park gets you alongside the final hurdle and the last two fences so this looks a positive chance. However this car park is not accessible from what I can see during the big meeting so don’t bank on it. Value for money was the name of the game today though on a day when we had high levels of quality racing the track had £12 entry for OAPs, £23 food drink and entry for general public and concessions on food for kids. This was a great day out and one of the best value packages I have had during the entire odyssey. Well done Aintree. The state of the going was very soft due to the rain we had in the North West during the past couple of days. However it was the strong headwind which I think contributed as much as anything else to the tiring of horses coming home
My first visit to Aintree was back in 1988 for the Friday of the Grand National meeting. It was chaos from the start. First off we parked our car in an official area but it was surrounded with demolition debris. A gang of teenage scallies were leaping about from slab to slab like ETA rebels in that film set in the Pyrenees I remember seeing years ago. They then enquired as to whether we wished to take advantage of a discount offer they were currently running for their highly recommended vehicle insurance policy. We declined on the basis that the premium was too high and if any car in the car park was going to have its contents liberated and subsequent wealth redistributed it was highly likely to be the adjacent BMW than a beaten up old Fiesta. However we wished them much like and commended them on their marketing plan as well as their clear entrepreneurial spirit of the like we had experienced in this fine old port city on many earlier occasions. In fact on one vividly recalled encounter where similar minded businessmen unwittingly damaged said vehicle they we rebuffed with a good old cuff round the Swedes which seriously affected their future reproductive potential. With that we sallied forth with their very best wishes ringing in our ears in the way only the abominable scouse high pitched whiney wingey twang can effect. If only Adolf had secured this asset I am sure his scientists could have produced the first sonic based neutron bomb.
But there was worse or better dependent upon your viewpoint. The main grandstand was rammed and the throng were clearly as much there for the ale as the racing. Towards the end of the day just before the closing bumper event’s **** fell I wished to relieve the old bladder. I saw a long snaking queue and enquired as to whether this was for the urinals. I was informed that indeed it was. Getting closer to the end of the queue I could not believe what I was seeing. The said urinal was a rubbish bin and one that was none too water-tight as the seeping film of frothy putrid liquid bared witness to. The saving grace was that I didn’t witness one of the Liver Birds extending the rip in the crotch of her tights before straddling said bin. I dare say on the basis of this sort of free spirit the award of City of Culture was rightly bestowed.
However I have been here plenty of times since and when I have got in have enjoyed it immensely. There is never a dull meeting here. I have been here when I couldn’t find anywhere to park and had to go back home, I have been here when there were no cash entries and had to watch from a freemans zone near the Melling Road, I have had the excitement of wheeling a pushchair attempting to get to the enclosures when suddenly the runners for the Foxhunters whizzed passed barely two foot away. When things work well here they work brilliant. There used to be a great park and ride from a schoolyard which took you to the entry down the back straight. It was perfect and made the travel and getting in absolutely great. I used that several times. This year expecting the same I was astonished to see it was no longer running and severely upset my plans.
Most working class kids’ introduction to horseracing in the sixties and seventies was the one live horse race which captured the imagination, The Grand National. There are so many urban myths and preconceptions around the event and the course that despite years going racing I always shied away from Aintree. The first time I went was back in 1986 visiting the track with my brother and sister-in-law. We never got in! The second time was in 1988 when I went up to Liverpool with a friend from Wimbledon Greyhound track and what an education ladies day at Aintree proved to be. I have since gone twice and grown to enjoy the day although I haven’t ventured on the big day yet and maybe I will one day.
I know Mouse Morris has tried some of his best chasers here in the past and I have wondered why the great chaser Buck House didn’t run at Aintree in such as The Melling Chase. Buck House was unfortunate to be around in the same era as that great Mare Dawn Run. However on good ground and two miles I think he would have the measure of any of the time. I followed his career avidly from the time I was told he was nailed on for the Supreme in 1983. This is the traditional Irish banker race to kick off the festival and friends from always had told me that this was highly thought of, certain to be the best of the Irish and that the general consensus in Ireland was that the British novice hurdlers of the day were at least a stone behind the Irish. He was then a good fourth in the 1984 Champion Hurdle behind Dawn Run when he looked the only danger coming down the hill over the second last. He then turned his attention to chasing finishing second to Boreen prince in the 1985 Arkle. His big day at Cheltenham arrived in the Champion Chase in 1986 when winning under Tommy Carberry. He then went down by only two lengths in a match against that great tough mare Dawn Run. Within a couple of months of that race the great horse succumbed to colic
An excellent celebration of 150 years of Grand National history was written by Anne Holland in 1988. The first point of reference is the fact that **** Francis alongside Lord Derby and John Smith (Liverpool Football Club chairman at the time) were the trustees when the Aintree course was saved from house developers in 1983. However the whole episode that was Devon Loch is the one to which marks out Francis’ career despite being champion national hunt jockey in the 1953/54 season. There is plenty of speculation over Devon Loch and Holland’s book does a fine job of summarising the possible causes without falling into the trap of opinion.
It is well worthwhile looking through the detailed essays in Timeform related to each year’s Grand National winners to get a flavour of how the debate around the race has bit by bit sanitised the event. In a time where prevention of animal cruelty has been a significant urban intelligentsia (term used with no comment by author) crusade, we have seen some big changes. I recall in the punk rock era of the late 1970s and early 1980s a growth in political activism. Action Directe in France was a radical organisation with anarchistic tendancies and the clarion call of Generation X was Vive L’anarchie. In fact the Sex Pistols seminal piece of art ‘Anarchy in the UK’ was also released as an idiosyncratic French version. In those times the animal liberation type movements were particularly aimed at vivisection which always seemed a bit brutal to the softer suburban cat owning types. However the whole animal rights movement morphed into an increasingly detached from reality pressure entity by the turn of the millennium. This pressure has led to the ban on coursing and hunting with hounds. Coursing still carries on in Ireland with hounds in muzzles. What amazes people when they bother to find out a bit more about the sport is that coursing does not encourage the hounds to catch the hare. In fact the very opposite is true a kill is viewed as completely unnecessary and the slipper applies constraint in terms of the hares to be chased. Rules exist to ensure a hare is only let loose up the course once per meeting to prevent injury affecting its performance. The county sports community has been poor at defending itself and this has led to the demise of centuries of tradition. This slow erosion of culture is a social problem. As the adage suggests a community without a past has no future. For example without national hunt racing and the Grand National wouldn’t our culture in these islands become a bit more eroded? When you consider the numbers watching on telly after having their annual punt, removal of this little piece of what unites surely helps loosens the cement that provides the essence of society?
I was at Aintree in 2005. That year Ginger McCain was signing his autobiography ‘My Colourful Life’. My wife has pregnant and queued for about quarter an hour with our eldest son who was two at the time. When they got to meet McCain he said ‘you’re a handsome lad’ then looking up at my wife and still talking to my son ‘ bet your dad’s good looking!’ You just knew from that leg pull that Ginger’s book would be in keeping with his character. It is a good read.
The Racing
Race 1 was a class 4 maiden hurdle over 17 furlongs. The pace was not that strong and they only really got racing as they came into the straight. It was won by the McCain trained Cinders and Ashes. He is usually a front running sort and again raced prominently today. Hurdled well in the main although has been prone to the odd blunder in the past. Used his strong resolution to outstay Keys in the prevailing conditions. Based on his run in the two top bumpers last year may need time to recover from races so that needs to be taken into account going forward. Looks a top class novice in the making. Keys finished second which was a fair effort at his debut over hurdles. Made a couple of less than fluent jumps. Unbeaten in bumpers last year and looked a live bet for the champion bumper but by-passed that event. Kept busy on the flat since with wins at Newbury and Ascot (class 2 handicap) before being unplaced in Cesarewitch (was over a stone up on handicap entry point). Form took turn for the better when blinkers applied. Maybe he needs to have them applied over the sticks. Ile De Re is an interesting recruit being from a family which has produced useful jumpers such as Markila. Won the stayers event during Ascot’s recent Shergar Cup which indicates plenty of potential however the trip today was always likely to be too short. He hurdled well in the main being in third place just off the pace for much. Never really asked for a serious effort and not given a rough ride once it was clear he was going to be third best. The front three were not eally challenged at all today and were a hurdle clear by the end. Very interesting one to keep an eye on and comes out of this as a positive with a win expected if racing over further than this two mile or if placed to race on a stiffer track. Going through the rest Magic Cat based on flat form this sprint bred mudlark might find staying two miles a problem. One of the lesser lights I would say and may well struggle to pick up even modest events. High Office is an ex flat racer who has won twice at Musselburgh and best win was a class 3 at Yarmouth. Not won since April but was not disgraced when 4th last time out at Ayr in Sept. Pedigree gives little hint at jumping promise and was a well beaten fourth today. Raced too keenly for his own good. Manahej was ex Godolphin but looks of limited promise based on debut defeat at Hexham. Well out of his depth today tried to make all but folded tamely before three out, blundered there and was soon pulled up. Pravda Street showed plenty of potential when fifth on debut at Bangor. Travelled well and sure to go from that run. The trip and track today was expected to help offset the stamina limitations which his flat form hints at but to be honest two miles rather than 17f would have been a bit more of a positive towards his chances. Folded when the tempo increased and looks moderate. Has a tendency to jump out to his right. Tropenfeuer showed no promise at all on debut, was moderate on the flat in Germany and her 66/1 SP at Haydock indicates little confidence during schooling. Was never a factor at all today and looks hopeless. Mahfal is an interesting one as surely there would be easier pickings amongst the juvenile fraternity? Very encouraging debut at Hexham against his peers when given an easy to finish fifth. Not completely useless on the sand this summer but this was a step too far today.
Ile De Re goes well as they pass the stands first time in third place
Race 2 was a handicap hurdle class 2 over two and a half miles. This was raced at a strong pace given the conditions. It was won in the style of a very useful handicapper. Featherbed Lane was an expensive recent purchase and now with the Hobbs stable. Looked in great nick last time out, resolute sort who needs a bit of cut and stays this trip well. He again looked a picture and powered home for a comfortable victory. He finished the best of any of today’s winners relishing the going. A big improver and at only six is a positive. Second home was Reindeer Dipping who ran well but was beaten by a strong improver and as such was not disgraced at all. He has run very well here in the past over this trip when second during the big meeting. Has run the odd disinterested race in the past so temperament may not be that great although raced fine today. Not given a hard race last time out over too far a trip as 20f is optimal. His current mark of 132 is fair on the best of his form and this is a rack he done well at. His wins have come on flat circuits but generally those of a galloping rather than sharp nature so perhaps a run at say Haydock might be worth considering. Third home and beaten comprehensively was Palace Jester. He is a mudlark and as his form is in and out depending on the ground conditions met it is difficult to work out how well he was treated today. He had previously won with ease in Wales last run and as such continues to interest. However he has gone up about a stone for that win and as good a run as his Ffos win was this was always likely to be a tricky handicap mark against some improvers. His chasing career was short-lived due to poor jumping ability and he is where he should be ie hurdling. Spirit Of Adjisa did well novice hurdling last year and ended up winning a big one at Punchestown when improving by about a stone on what had been seen before. Not always entirely fluent in the past and jumping let him down a lot today. His flat pipeopener in July was not that great. I think his Irish win has been a little over done and his OR of 145 may anchor him first time against more seasoned hurdlers. Alfie Sherrin looked interesting now back over the smaller obstacles. He was a progressive sort and was made very short for the Pertemps at Cheltenham in 2010. Doesn’t stand a lot of racing and needs to be fresh. Was tried chasing last year with some success and promise. Ran very moderately today. Wyse Tea Bags is a strong front runner who has a very good attitude, has won here as well as at other similar tight flat tracks, suits a bit of cut and ideally suit by 2m4 and a bit more perhaps. Was a big positive on reappearance where he was hampered slightly by the winner coming home. Goes well for Richie McGrath and appeared to be on the upgrade with a potentially winning mark today. However was never really travelling today. Initailly the view was that the going was against him, but because he was hopelessly beaten it may well be something went amiss (reported lated to have scoped badly after the race). Rudanphast’s big problems in the past have been that he is anything other than a fluent hurdler and has had health issues. On balance he is probably unsuited by testing ground. Today’s effort confirmed those views. Fifth home and beaten before the straight was Cotillion. He was previously an encouraging third on handicap debut when it has been suggested that was left far too much to do by his inexperienced jockey in a conditionals event. On the balance sheet though is the fact that his one win at Uttoxeter was pretty workmanlike when looking thrown in and he may well be one that flatters a bit. Fourth and thrashed was Dontpaytheferryman previously Beat Pokfulham (a Musselburgh standing dish). However that win was 7lbs less than today’s mark and his recent runs over hurdles and on the flat suggest that he is having some problems. A tongue strap has been fitted in the past which makes you suspect a bit of a breathing issue going on. Sam Lord looks more a chaser on his form but on more than one occasion his resolution looked doubtful. Hawaii Klass is not badly treated but needs much further than this and off 119 can run well again once tried over three miles. However his hurdling lacked fluency and I am not convinced he is that suited by the mud.
Early stages with Palace Jester(green/yellow/white) cutting out the pace
The excellent Featherbed Lane pulls well clear to win as he likes
Race 3 was a handicap hurdle class 4 for novices over two and a half miles. This was run at a fairly steady gallop taking into account the testing conditions. The race developed into a duel as the leading pair pulled well clear of the rest of the field. It was won by Native Gallery who continued his recent progress with a gutsy slog home. Previous victories at Uttoxeter and Fakenham had given the impression that he would be suited by further than this trip and remains likely to be seen to best advantage over fences. I think his Uttoxeter win showed some improvement which he continued today and he looks a live one to continue to improve over 22f plus. I had previously seen runner up Red Rocco in a couple of bumpers in the spring and he always looked a fair hurdling type suited by at least this 20f but in reality I felt he needs further. He ran very well today staying on at the one pace finishing clear of the remainder and although improving I will leave him until tested further. The remainder were hopelessly thrashed today. Wadden Prince was bought over from Ireland after picking a solitary win in the Rosscommon stewards room. Promising Cheltenham GB debut when looking short of a run. However in the past has given the impression that 2m4 stretched his stamina and as a keen type may not benefit from this trip as unlikely to be held up. In the circumstances ran in snatches probably because held up to protect stamina so could run better on good ground where his jockey can allow him to race more prominently. Roper is still a maiden and failed to complete last two efforts. He had been promising on first couple of runs and had looked suited to this trip however he was never sited as a factor at any time today. His conformation suggests that he will be better over fences and might be less than nimble over hurdles. Not a likely hurdling giant but could be better suited jumping fences. Silicium is well connected to another element Radium. Both hurdle efforts to date had positives about them and this distance on perfectly decent ground was expected to have shown that he is well treated off the current mark of 115. What A Warrior is closely related to Joes Edge suggesting that this trip will be too sharp especially at this tight track. Not badly weighted on the pick of his form but has failed to travel well in the past and may be a bit of an in and out sort. Not irresolute but may be a bit inconsistent. His run today to finish a plodding on remote fourth confirms impression that he will be better suited by further. Croan Rock is an improver although looks more a chaser in time. Didn’t run badly when third at Kempton and then followed up with a better run over this trip at Uttoxeter. However the race was unsatisfactory in terms of pace and how easily he was overhauled. The run today showed he is not suited by a true test of stamina over this trip. Hes A Hawker is a summer jumper well exposed and gave the impression that he was unlikely to do much in this class today. Ran as if something not quite right last time out in August. Hopelessly tailed off around halfway. Mabel Tasman bust pelvis and was off all last season. Shaped with a lot of potential when given an easy on hurdling debut and then ran a good second over 22f where her stamina was probably near break point. A drop to 20f today and handicapping for the first time put her shortlist in with a shout but was soon beaten and pulled up. This was far too much a test of her limited stamina. Comeragh King showed more improvement on his third hurdling effort with a somewhat unlucky second at Wetherby. Is on a fair handicap mark and stays this 20f if conditions are not too testing. Was held up an making progress when a blunder three out knocked the stuffing out of him and he came home in his own time. He could have finished a lot closer and may well pop in soon decent ground. High Hoylander has had plenty of efforts over hurdles but is now beginning to show signs of improvement this winter. His hurdling had been a bit iffy in the past but the two recent runs have been fluent. Made a lot of use today and blew up quickly to finish a remote third. Not a total disaster. Saint Luke is returning to a better trip after two flops over three miles. Has proven better in the past with a gap between runs and as he had a tough race less than a month ago I would have that as a bit of a negative to his chances. In the circumstances ran no kind of race today. If fresh is likely to show significant improvement on this run. What A Steel appears exposed off current mark and ran poorly.
Red Rocco (yellow cap) prominent throughout ran a very promising race
Native Gallery asserts in a good tussle as the leading pair have pulled well clear
Race 4 was a mares bumper over 2m1 set at class 6 level. Like most bumpers it was slow for the first mile and especially true in today’s draining conditions that made a lot of sense. It was won with a resolute performance leading from approaching 3f out in testing conditions by Russies with Love. This is a nicely bred mare with connections to useful hurdlers and closely related to a French Derby fourth. This was improved form and continues the progress made on most recent second at Exeter. This could prove to be a decent mares event so in the right race she could well defy penalty. Her attitude gives view that she will make her mark over hurdles especially over 2m4 plus. Promising. Second home and the eyecatcher was Bonnie Burnett who was held up before making smooth progress to hold every chance at the furlong stick. Was outstayed by the winner which in the long term is likely to be viewed as a sound debut. I think she will win on decent ground, has a bit of a turn off foot which with falsely run bumpers being the norm will play right into her hands. Looking at her pedigree you have to say why is her first run in a bumper when there are July Cup winners in the family and listed stakes winners. She can win next time out. Sands Of Vatersay only cost £800 but ran OK on her debut today leading into the straight but then outpaced. Favourite Beattie Green could not reproduce her fair form when winning at Fontwell at the start of the year. Probably set to start hurdling in the new year and pedigree suggests might be better over timber with time. The fancied Sudden Light and Fenney Hill were thrashed and probably were unsuited by the mud. This is especially true for Sudden Light who had looked promising in bumpers run on fastish fround.
Russie With Love returns having won the mares bumper
Race 5 was the Becher Chase a class 1 handicap having listed status run over 3m2 and was run on the national course. It was run at a fair pace given the very soft ground underfoot. This race has produced two recent winners of the Grand National so it is work keeping an eye as this is a reasonable trial for the big one. The changes to the conformation of the fences and they might be safer but they are still a good test. The winner was the previously slightly inconsistent West End Rocker. He could not have run a better trial jumping the fences very well indeed. This was a good renewal and in the circumstances this must be a live option going forward. Second home was Niche Market who has been a very good chaser in his past. Jumped the fences nicely and was not given the hardest race imaginable and although well beaten he had been pulled back off the pace so never really in with a major chance of winning. Is on a good mark and I have him as a positive coming out of this race. Ballyvesey was way out of the race for much of the second circuit but stayed on from way out to just get up for third. He was flattered by this position and I would not be too interested in backing him next run. Always Waning was fourth finishing very tired and was picked up late for the minor place. He had not been fluent for much of the race, was pushed to challenge and I think he will struggle to win if bought out too soon as he had a very hard race today. Rare Bob was prominent for much of the race and still had every chance approaching three out. He weakened quickly but I think the toll of not really taking to these fences finally let to almost finishing at walking pace. Tried his heart out but I would not be backing him if returning to these fences. Of the rest Hello Bud ran very well leading for much and going nicely until error at the Canal Turn and unshipping Sam T-Davies, Swing Bill didn’t seem to like the going, Nicto De Beauchene was prominent for much and ran OK in the circumstances, Shalimar Fromentro is worth a specific mention. Only five (although as a French bred would have been well experienced in jumping) he jumped superbly throughout racing prominently. He just over pitched on landing a smidgen at Becher’s Brook and fell. It was one of those unlucky falls that nine times out of ten a more experienced horse would nod or find a leg. All things considered it would not put anyone off backing him next race and could well develop into a national horse on the basis of this as I think he is not unsuited by these obstacles and finally Another Palm didn’t seem to act on either the going or the unique fences.
Race 6 was the highest quality race of the day being a grade 1 listed chase over three miles. The favourites flip flopped with the weak in the market Nacarat jumping more clumsily than usual and although still in the lead three out and still held every chance at the next quickly folded. My view is that he is on the downgrade now and will find winning very difficult. He emerges as one to lay going forward and thus rates as a negative. The winner was the progressive seven year old Master Of The Hall who was one of last season’s top staying novice chasers having won the Reynoldstown at Ascot by a comfortable six lengths. Today he put up a good round of jumping in the main (couple of minor errors which did little to slow him down). He was produced to lead approaching two out and then ran on well for a very easy win. Difficult to rate this but has plenty of potential. The second home was the in and out performer Tamarinbleu who ran in snatches. Although a top notch chaser capable of giving all bar the very best a good run for their money you never know which one is going to turn up the very good one or the very bad one. Today we had both in the same race.
At an early fence the two principles are still closely matched
Race 7 was the class 2 handicap chase over the nation fences with the distance to be covered of just over 2m5. There were several abortive efforts to get this one off today and whilst I am not saying that there is a competency issue with the starter here it does appear more likely to have a messy start than at other courses. The race was won by ex Arthur Moore trained Stewarts House who was up with the pace throughout, jumped the fences very well indeed and showed great battling attitude to last home in very testing conditions racing into the teeth of a strong wind up the home straight. I liked this horse. It is also worth noting the ride given by Aiden Coleman who nicked the inside on the elbow off Carberry which I think gave at least a length advantage as the runner up had to switch to come wide. On the face of it that was decisive but to be that simplistic misses the point of the winner’s gutsy attitude (Coleman was foound guilty of over use of the hwip). Is in great form at present and whilst his mark of 134 is obviously going to be reassessed, I think he will continue to be a formidable foe in middle distance chases when conditions are stamina sapping. The runner up was one currently trained by Arthur Moore and was heavily gambled on. The Irish raider Linnel made a string of mistakes, including the one over the last, but was only beaten a neck. He can win off this 111 mark but I have doubts as to whether these fences suit him. Third home was Buffalo Bob who was held up for a change (reportedly forced on the jockey by the messy start). He jumped these fences very well indeed once he got over making a bit of a error at The Chair which knocked him on his heels. He slowly but surely got himself into the race. However the front two had established a good lead and Buffalo Bob never really got into a position to challenge them. I thought he had quite an easy race in the circumstances. Clearly acts on soft is on a great mark as down another two pounds and has plenty going for him. In the past there has been evidence that the National can suit two and half milers, he looked to be on a reasonable mark anyway off 124 and he was behind two that were clearly very favourably handicapped. On the basis of all this I have Buffalo Bob as a positive and would be considering the National itself if I was Mr Bailey. Fine Parchment is quite highly tried off 138 and ran OK but I would say the ground wasn’t ideal. Nomecheki folded tamely as if something had gone wrong with him. Santas Son made a lot of the running but was outpaced from about 4 out. The Sawyer got himself into the race and had every chance four out but was held by the time they jumped the next. Got Attitude was prominent but was never jumping that fluently and fell six out. Frankie Fogg pushed the pace and ran and jumped OK. It must have been the ground contributed to his downfall in part. Nikola never really got going. Pilgrim Lane fell at the chair (3rd). Sun Tzu was not up to this class in any case but is a better horse on firm ground. A bit high in the weights off 125. No Panic was soon tailed off. High Jack fell early in the race and never looked at ease over these fences.
As dusk begins to fall so does the hapless Pilgrims Way at The Chair
Notebook
Ile De Re (P)
Featherbed Lane (P)
Bonnie Burnett(P)
Niche Market (P)
Shalimar Fromentro (P)
Nacarat (N)
Buffalo Bob (P)