Doom Bar Maghull Novices' Chase |
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| Grade 1, Aintree 15:00 £100,000 added, 5yo plus, 1m 7f 176y, Class 1  |
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| Saturday 14th April 2018 | |
1 Diego Du Charmil 5/1
2 Petit Mouchoir 4/5 f
3 Shantou Rock 13/2
6 ran Distances: 2½l, 6l, nk
Time: 4m 2.20s (slow by 13.20s)
Diego Du Charmil wins ahead of Petit Mouchoir
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Nicholls said: "It's lovely that the de la Heys have won a Grade One like that because they put a lot into it, are great supporters of the yard, and have a lot of young horses that are just coming together."
The de la Heys' winner, who was sent off at 5/1, beat the odds-on favourite Petit Mouchoir, 4/5, by two and a half lengths under jockey Harry Cobden.
Nicholls said of Diego Du Charmil: "He is an improving horse, but I was a bit worried about the ground, and I haven't been able to do a lot with him this season.
"He started off at Newton Abbot [with a win], and was then third there but nearly severed himself and was a millimetre from a fatal injury. He then had to run at Warwick on unsuitable ground thinking ahead to the Grand Annual, and when the ground was against us there we waited for this race. Today became the plan.
"He would have waltzed in at Ascot last time [he fell] and we felt, had he won that day, he would have been rated 150-plus and it was worth taking his chance today. He won a Fred Winter [Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham]. Petit Mouchoir is obviously a bit of a stressy horse and that is not going to help him here. Our lad is very straightforward and it was a great ride by Harry.
"He needs to mature a little but he has a load of toe and jumps well - there is more to come from him. We wouldn't want to run him over any further [than two miles].
"I might take him to Sandown [for the Celebration Chase]. If Altior didn't turn up, we might think about that."
Cobden, who partnered Ultragold to success in yesterday's Randox Health Topham Chase, said: "Diego Du Charmil impressed me today. He jumped really smartly and he is a lovely horse.
Where he travelled so well, I could almost to take a little swing out of him upsides Davy. I was able to fill the horse with confidence and half get a breather into him.
"He pricked his ears going down to the last and has absolutely hacked up."
"He is improving all the time and it's great for the whole team.
"Johnny De La Hey [owner] spends a lot of money on horses and it's great for him to be rewarded with a G1 win.
"He was rated 143 today and Petit Mouchoir obviously ran below his mark of 157, so I'm not sure how good this lad could be next year, but he's a lovely horse and he's won a G1 today!"
Doom Bar Maghull Novices' Chase
£100,000 added, 5yo plus, 1m 7f 176y, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Soft
| Pos | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Diego Du Charmil (FR) 5/1 | Harry Cobden 11-4 |
P F Nicholls | 6 | |
| 2nd | 2½ | Petit Mouchoir (FR) 4/5f | D N Russell 11-4 |
H de Bromhead | 7 |
| 3rd | 6 | Shantou Rock (IRE) 13/2 | Harry Skelton 11-4 |
D Skelton | 6 |
| 4th | nk | Lady Buttons 4/1 | A Nicol 10-11 |
P A Kirby | 8 |
| 5th | 24 | Kauto Riko (FR) 25/1 | R T Dunne 11-4 |
T R Gretton | 7 |
| 6th | 24 | Delegate 40/1 | B Hughes 11-4 |
K Dalgleish | 8 |
