Betway Bowl Chase
Grade 1, Aintree 14:50
£190,000 added,
5yo plus,
3m 210y, Class 1   
Thursday 4th April 2019

1 Kemboy 9/4F
2 Clan Des Obeaux 11/4
3 Balko Des Flos 20/1
6 ran Distances: 9l, hd, 1l
Time: 6m 35.20s (slow by 28.20s)

Kemboy claims glory for Willie Mullins, Ruby Walsh and the Supreme Racing Club

Kemboy
© Caroline Norris
Kemboy
 
Willie Mullins took the G1 Betway Bowl for the first time since Florida Pearl scored for him in the £200,000 contest in 2002 with Kemboy, ridden by Ruby Walsh.
 
The syndicate-owned seven-year-old unseated his jockey at the first fence in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month, but gained plenty of compensation here. The 9/4 favourite beat Clan Des Obeaux by nine lengths in an impressive performance.
 
Mullins said: " He never put a foot wrong from what I could see, but they are awful conditions. I was worried when we have had a race on the chase track already that it would have opened the ground and might not have suited Kemboy, but it looked like he had no problems seeking out that trip and further.
 
"You have days of good luck and bad luck. We had bad luck at Cheltenham and things worked our way today.
 
"We haven't been too hard on him this year - that was only his second run really since Christmas - and he will go to Punchestown. I thought the Savills Chase [which he won at Leopardstown in December] was going to be his big day, and he was just unlucky at Cheltenham.

"I think that he is a horse who could go on further than Punchestown. I would like to travel him abroad - I think he goes on good ground - and I would like to maybe take him to America later in the season. We will see."

Trainers Quotes

Walsh, who rides Rathvinden in Saturday's £1-million Randox Health Grand National - like Kemboy, that horse is trained by Willie Mullins - said: "It felt really smooth - he was in a great rhythm and eyeing the fences up in his own stride. We didn't go a great gallop, but the ground is getting slow and he just jumped and travelled and it was always comfortable. I didn't do very much, I just sat there and let him do it.
 
"He appeared to have a great chance in the [Magners] Cheltenham Gold Cup [unseated at the first] on form, but it didn't happen. That's just racing for you. He bounced out of that race in good form and Willie decided to bring him here. It's great for the owners [Supreme Racing/Brett Graham/Ken Sharp] who are a huge syndicate and get a great enjoyment out of it. It's big days like this you are in it for, and, while it's a pity the sun isn't shining, they won't mind the rain.
 
"It's lovely jumping weather. I love riding horses on slower ground - it's so enjoyable. I was in my element out there - I'd call it yielding. Kemboy once won a slow-ground hurdle at Limerick and Cadmium, who won the other division, runs in tomorrow's Topham Chase. They have been two very lucky horses for their owners."

Betway Bowl Chase
£190,000 added, 5yo plus, 3m 210y, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Good to Soft

Pos D Horse SP Jockey Weight Trainer Age
1st Kemboy (FR) 9/4f R Walsh
11-7
W P Mullins 7
2nd 9 Clan Des Obeaux (FR) 11/4 H Cobden
11-7
P F Nicholls 7
3rd hd Balko Des Flos (FR) 20/1 Rachael Blackmore
11-7
H De Bromhead 8
4th 1 Bristol De Mai (FR) 7/2 D A Jacob
11-7
N A Twiston-Davies 8
5th 5 Road To Respect (IRE) 9/2 S W Flanagan
11-7
N Meade 8
6th 40 Elegant Escape (IRE) 10/1 T J O'Brien
11-7
C L Tizzard 7

Tebwin

Betway Bowl - Previous Winners

2018 Might Bite
2017 Tea For Two
2016 Cue Card
2015 Silviniaco Conti
2014 Silviniaco Conti
2013 First Lieutenant
, Gigginstown House Stud, Mouse Morris IRE 08-11-07 Bryan Cooper 7/2
2012 Follow The Plan, Redgap Partnership, Oliver McKlernan IRE 09-11-07 Tom Doyle 50/1
2011 Nacarat, Simon W Clarke, Tom George 10-11-07 Paddy Brennan 7/2

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