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| Topham Chase Friday 9th April 2010 |
John Smith’s Topham Chase 2010
1 Always Waining 22/1
2 Scotsirish 14/1
3 Isn't That Lucky 16/1
4 Dooneys Gate 28/1
Waining Top in Topham for Douglas and Bowen
09/04/10
West Wales-based trainer Peter Bowen saddled Always Waining, the runaway winner of the John Smith’s Topham Chase, at Aintree today. Twelve months ago the horse had finished fourth in the same race.
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Bowen said: “That’s unbelievable - my heart’s still up in the air somewhere. He’s run a lovely race, but he loves this place and was running off a nice weight, so it was all in his favour.
“He ran well here last year off a 12lb higher mark so he was entitled to put up a good show.”
Always Waining has often worn blinkers in the past, but today he was equipped with cheekpieces. Bowen said: “I don’t think that made any difference to him - he’s been running on soft ground, which doesn’t suit him, but today’s good ground was what he wants.”
Karen Bowen, Peter’s wife, added: “A lot of people had written him off but I really had confidences in him because he ran really well round here last year, finishing fourth, and he jumps absolutely brilliantly. I knew that the big fences would bring a revival but I didn’t think that it would bring that much of a revival back to him.
“He was really well handicapped - he was running off 12lb less than last year - but he hadn’t been running up to form.”
Peter Bowen and Peter Douglas have disagreed in the past about the horse’s prospects if lining up in the John Smith’s Grand National, and it seems likely to be a theme in the future. Bowen said: “They are good owners, love the horse and really look after him. Two days ago they weren’t keen to run here, but I told them he had come right in the past fortnight and to let him take his chance. He’ll go out in a field next week for a summer break, but I’d love to get him into the National next year. I think he’ll get the trip.”
Douglas, who lives in Uttoxeter and is chairman of an engineering company, said: “I didn’t fancy him at all. Everyone I’ve spoken to today I’ve told them ‘don’t back him, he’s here for fun’. We’ve come for a fun day out and won the Topham, but it’s the ground that’s made the difference. He jumps so well off good ground. He didn’t have his ground last year, but today was our day.
“He won’t get the distance in the National - Peter wants to run him in it and I won’t let him. We tried him in the Midlands National, but anything over three miles two furlongs he won’t get. He’ll come back here for the Topham next year if the ground is right.”
Northern-based jockey Brian Hughes is set to have his first ride in the John Smith’s Grand National tomorrow aboard Beat The Boys and he had the perfect rehearsal for the big race when sailing to a 12-length victory on Always Waining in the John Smith’s Topham Chase.
He said: “This horse was fourth in this race last year and he was 12lbs lower today. Sometimes with older chasers coming round here brings the best out of them. Peter Bowen is a very shrewd man as everyone knows and when he said he had him spot on you can go out there with a lot of confidence.”
Hughes, who was having his fourth ride around the National fences, added: “It’s my first ride in the National tomorrow so today couldn’t have gone any better. I sat second all the way. Frankie Figg is a decent horse and he can trap along but my little horse kept galloping and he always keeps a little bit for himself so he was always going to get home. It’s all down to him. He’s not very big but he’s really brave.
“I wasn’t surprised at how well he was going because he had that much less weight and he was in contention last year when he made a bad blunder. Peter Bowen has done some training performance and I’m just the lucky one who gets a brilliant spare ride.
“To win here round the National fences is just amazing. I want to just get round safe and sound tomorrow - as we all know the National’s a lottery.”
MULLINS EYEING 2011 NATIONAL FOR SCOTS AND GATE
Trainer Willie Mullins was very pleased with the efforts of top-weight Scotsirish and Dooneys Gate, who finished second and fourth respectively in the John Smith’s Topham Chase over the Grand National fences. The County Carlow handler has his eyes set on the 2011 renewal of the John Smith’s Grand National for the duo.
Mullins said: “I am delighted with Scotsirish and Dooneys Gate, they were both terrific.
“Scotsirish carried top weight and Dooneys Gate made a bad mistake four or five out, but after those performances today, I would not be afraid to enter them both in the National next year. The course certainly holds no fear for them.
“I am just disappointed for Katie Walsh who rode our other runner, Pomme Tiepy, as she fell at the first! She met it right and had plenty of daylight but just crumpled on landing.”
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s John Smith’s Grand National, in which Mullins saddles Arbor Supreme and Snowy Morning, the trainer continued: “Both horses are fit and well, and we have had no setbacks at all. The ground should also be perfect for them both.”
ISN’T THAT LUCKY PUTS CHELTENHAM BEHIND HIM
Isn’t That Lucky wasn’t so lucky at Cheltenham when he fell two out in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase last month when in third place, but there was no such error on the far more difficult Grand National fences, and the seven-year-old just pipped Dooney’s Gate to gain third place, 20 lengths behind the winner Always Waining.
The horse is owned by Dominic and Valda Burke, who bred champion hurdle winner Katchit. “He been so bad with his wind and had the big operation last November and then we didn’t know if it worked or not because he fell two from home at Cheltenham,” said Valda.
“It was a great performance. I think the horse enjoyed it as much as the jockey,” added her husband Dominic.
Trainer Jonjo O’Neill said: “Sam [Waley-Cohen] gave him a great ride and everything went right. Brilliant.”
Waley-Cohen said: “I was carrying two pounds overweight, I just couldn’t get it off. Jonjo called me yesterday and said did I want to ride. Normally it would take 10 days to do that sort of weight [9st 11lb], so it’s been a lean twenty-four hours.
“But he’s run a brilliant race and I don’t think the two pounds made any difference, he was never going to get the first two,” he said.
