Doom Bar Sefton Novices' Hurdle |
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| Grade 1, Aintree £100,000 added, 4yo plus, 3m 110y, Class 1 |
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| Friday 4th April 2014 | |
1 Beat That 6/1
2 Cole Harden 16/1
3 Seeyouatmidnight 7/2F
18 ran Distances: 4l, 25l, 7l
TIME 6m 2.90s (slow by 8.90s)
Beat That produced a deeply impressive performance to rout his rivals in the Doom Bar Sefton Novices' Hurdle at Aintree this afternoon.
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The 6/1 shot cruised into contention as the field turned for home and stayed on strongly after the final hurdle to record a four length victory.
Jockey Barry Geraghty was full of praise for Beat That following the race and thinks there will be more to come when the six-year-old goes chasing. Beat That made it a 174/1 treble on the day for the jockey following his victories on Josses Hill and Ma Filleule.
"We have always liked Beat That a lot," said Geraghty.
"He was a bit unlucky in heavy ground at Sandown because he missed the last hurdle and that cost him.
"I fancied him today and I thought he would run a big race. It's great to have a big winner for Michael Buckley (the owner) and it's been a good week for him with Dubai as well (Buckley also owns Toast Of New York who won the UAE Derby at Meydan on Saturday) - an unusual double.
"He probably travelled a little too well. I was on Richard Johnson's tail (on Killala Quay) and didn't have as much room as I would like. He is a novice and missed the second last, but he was very good at the last.
"He is the typical mould of a three-mile chaser. He's definitely not a slow horse and has the gears but seems to stay well."
Doom Bar Sefton Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1)
£100,000 added, 4yo plus, 3m 110y, Class 1
18 ran
Going: Good, Good to Soft in places
| Horse Trainer |
Jockey Weight |
SP Distance |
|
| 1 |
Beat That N J Henderson |
B J Geraghty 11st 4lbs |
6 - 1 Winner |
| 2 |
Cole Harden W Greatrex |
G Sheehan 11st 4lbs |
16 - 1 4 lengths |
| 3 |
Seeyouatmidnight A M Thomson |
Ryan Mania 11st 4lbs |
7 - 2 25 lengths |
| 4 |
Capote Jonjo O'Neill |
A P McCoy 11st 4lbs |
8 - 1 7 lengths |
| 5 |
Killala Quay C E Longsdon |
R Johnson 11st 4lbs |
11 - 2 1 1/4 length |
| 6 |
Racing Pulse J J Quinn |
T Scudamore 11st 4lbs |
9 - 1 11 lengths |
| 7 |
Walk On Al D Skelton |
Harry Skelton 11st 4lbs |
25 - 1 5 lengths |
| 8 |
Tagrita P F Nicholls |
Nick Scholfield 10st 11lbs |
16 - 1 9 lengths |
| 9 |
The Last Samuri D McCain Jnr |
Henry Brooke 11st 4lbs |
25 - 1 9 lengths |
| 10 |
Port Melon P F Nicholls |
Sam Twiston-Davies 11st 4lbs |
17 - 2 13 lengths |
| 11 |
Flatfoot Boogie N F Glynn |
Andrew J McNamara 11st 4lbs |
50 - 1 1/2 length |
| 12 |
Giantofaman D T Hughes |
D J Condon 11st 4lbs |
14 - 1 38 lengths |
| 13 |
Mondo Cane C T Pogson |
A Pogson 11st 4lbs |
150 - 1 64 lengths |
| Fell |
Cogry N A Twiston-Davies |
Ryan Hatch 11st 4lbs |
80 - 1 |
| PU |
Deadly Sting Jonjo O'Neill |
D C Costello 11st 4lbs |
100 - 1 |
| PU |
Themanfrom Minella B I Case |
L P Aspell 11st 4lbs |
50 - 1 |
| PU |
Tistory N J Henderson |
D Bass 11st 4lbs |
16 - 1 |
| PU |
Toubeera Miss V Williams |
Aidan Coleman 10st 11lbs |
33 - 1 |
HENDERSON JUGGLES TO GOOD EFFECT
After Beat That's win in the Grade One Doom Bar Sefton Novices' Hurdle had completed a 174/1 treble for his trainer, Nicky Henderson, the successful handler said: "We had to leave him alone for the winter, with the weather, the ground and everything, but that was a good performance to come back, first time over three miles and he hasn't run since Sandown, which was a long time ago. He's growing up.
"It's great for Michael (Buckley - owner) because he has had a rather torrid winter one way and another. Things haven't gone right at all, and then a lot of people have watched what happened last Saturday [in Dubai, where his Toast Of New York won a valuable Group Two race] and six days later we are back in the right place again. It's great for him because he is some supporter of ours and racing.
"Last weekend was simply incredible but it is nice to do that for him here because this is a lovely horse for the future. He's a chaser - I would think that he would go chasing next year but he has only had three hurdle races in his life.
"He travelled very well today. I only dropped him into this race two days ago - I rang Michael and said that he was in the two-and-a-half-mile race tomorrow, but I thought that they might go too quick for him and I juggled them around a little bit literally two days ago. I think all the boys agreed that three miles might be better for him."
HARDEN NO FLOP
Cole Harden's game effort to finish runner-up in the Doom Bar Sefton Novices' Hurdle has his connections dreaming of big days out next year as the five-year-old's season draws to a close at Aintree.
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"He's a really exciting horse for next year and it's great for his owners Robin and Jill Eynon, who have been with us since the start and very loyal. I imagine that will be it for him now this season but it's lovely to go out on such a high with plenty to look forward to."
Sandy Thomson, trainer of third-placed Seeyouatmidnight, was similarly pleased with the efforts of his stable star. The Scottish-based handler said: "I'm absolutely thrilled with him. He's done us proud this season and that'll be it for him now, he's had a hard race."
