Virgin Bet Grand Sefton Chase
Handicap Chase, Aintree 15:15
£80,000 added,
6yo plus,
2m 5f 19y, Class 2  
Saturday 7th December 2019

1 Hogans Height 16/1
2 Wishfull Dreaming 25/1
3 Beau Bay 40/1
14 ran Distances: 16l, nse, 6l
Time: 5m 0.00s (fast by 21.00s)

Jockey Tom Cannon completed a treble thanks to the 16-length success of Hogan’s Height from Wishfull Dreaming – with Beau Bay completing the improbable first three home a nose further back.

Hogan’s Height was breaking Snowden’s long-standing duck over the Grand National fences, which stretches back to his years riding “a good few” non-finishers in the Foxhunters and Topham Chase.

The Lambourn trainer admits it is a result which has also dramatically altered aspirations for the eight-year-old, who was meant to be warming up for a hunter-chase campaign leading back here in April.

“It worked out brilliantly,” said Snowden.

“He’s improved dramatically for those fences – it’s a massive thrill. I’ve never trained a winner over them before, and I rode over them a good few times and never got round.”

Hogan’s Height will be back here again next spring – but no longer in the Foxhunters.

“We’ll change plans and come back for the Topham, I think,” added Snowden.

“We’ll put him in the National, but I doubt he’ll get in that.”

In an eventful race, French challenger It’s Jennifer sadly suffered a fatal injury when falling at the first fence.

Cannon, who was deputising for Snowden’s more regular jockeys in action elsewhere, discovered afterwards he has a likely ban looming because the stewards noted his use of the whip “when clearly winning”.

Before that ruling, he had good reason to smile as he reflected on his productive day.

He said: “I’ve probably not had many better – it makes up for the bad ones.”

FormRatings

Grand Sefton Handicap Chase
£80,000 added, 6yo plus, 2m 5f 19y, Class 2
14 ran
Going: Soft, Good to Soft in places

POS DIST HORSE AGE WGT JOCKEY TRAINER SP
1     Hogan's Height 8 10-8 Jamie Snowden Tom Cannon 16/1
2 16 Wishfull Dreaming 8 10-1 Sam England Jonathan England 25/1
3 nse Beau Bay 8 10-6 Dr Richard Newland Henry Brooke 40/1
4 6 Flying Angel 8 11-3 3ex Nigel Twiston-Davies Sam Twiston-Davies 11/4F
5 2 Didero Vallis 6 10-8 Venetia Williams Charlie Deutsch 7/1
6 10 Touch Kick 8 10-13 Paul Nicholls Bryony Frost 6/1
7 6 Ultragold 11 11-2 Colin Tizzard Tom Scudamore 8/1
8 3¼ Killaro Boy 10 10-11 Henry Oliver Liam Heard 10/1
9 99 Gold Present 9 11-12 Nicky Henderson Jeremiah McGrath 12/1
F It's Jennifer 7 10-4 Louisa Carberry Felix De Giles 6/1
PU Gwencily Berbas 8 10-7 E McNamara A P Heskin 20/1
PU Kayf Adventure 8 10-9 Philip Hobbs Richard Johnson 10/1
PU Federici 10 10-0 Donald McCain William Kennedy 14/1
PU Heist 9 10-0 Patrick Griffin Derek Fox 100/1