Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Novices' Hurdle |
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| Grade 1, Aintree 13:45 £110,000 guaranteed, 4yo only, 2m 209y, Class 1  |
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1 Mange Tout 5/1
2
Selma De Vary 9/4F
3
Indian River 25/1
10 ran Distances: ¾l, 3½l, 1½l
Time: 4m 7.42s (slow by 6.92s)
What a start to the day 🙌🏼
— Aintree Racecourse (@AintreeRaces) April 9, 2026
Mange Tout powers home to win the @Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle in a brilliant finish 💯 pic.twitter.com/XKHNuIwurC
There are races at Aintree that unfold with a degree of inevitability, and others that require something a little more resolute. This fell into the latter category, with Mange Tout demonstrating not just ability, but a willingness to engage when it mattered most.
Gordon Elliott’s filly arrived fresh, having been kept away from the Cheltenham cauldron, and that decision now looks a measured one. In a race that developed into a duel from the home turn, she travelled with purpose throughout before asserting her claim, only to be challenged in earnest by Selma De Vary, who had held the upper hand when the pair last met at Leopardstown.
What followed was less about fluency and more about resolve. Mange Tout, having taken up the running, was not for passing, repelling the favourite’s persistent challenge to prevail by three-quarters of a length. It was a performance that suggested both tactical speed and, crucially, a degree of latent toughness.
Elliott was quick to credit his rider.
“I thought Jack gave her a great ride. She was very keen in Leopardstown and we probably rode her to win rather than getting her to settle and it just told.
“It was hard not to take her to Cheltenham because obviously you want as many bullets as you can, but Cheltenham is over now and I’m glad we kept her for here.
“I’d say the flatter track suited her as she’s got that bit of boot. Jack actually said she wasn’t doing a stroke in front, she was very idle.
“She’s a nice mare and she’ll just a fence next year. I’d say that might be her (finished) for this year, as she’s not the biggest girl in the world. We’ll see.”
That observation about idling in front adds a layer of interest. Horses who do only what is required can often give the impression of having more in hand than the bare margin suggests, and this was a performance that may yet stand up well in the context of the division.
For Selma De Vary, there was little in defeat to diminish her standing. Once again she met the line with purpose, but once again found one just a fraction stronger on the day.
“She ran another good race. There was nothing much between her and the winner when they met at Leopardstown and there was very little between them again.”
Further back, Indian River offered a reminder that these races are rarely confined to the principals alone. Sent off at 25-1, he ran with credit to take third, shaping as though he may yet find his place in slightly calmer waters.
“It was a good run. We didn’t bring him here just for the sake of it, just like we didn’t take him to Cheltenham for the sake of it, either (finished 10th in Triumph Hurdle).
“We always thought he was a fair horse, even though it looked like we had a bit to find. He was giving the front two 7lb as well.
“He’s had a hard enough campaign considering he had two runs on the Flat over in Ireland, and he’s not the easiest on himself. It bodes well for next season.
“There’s a four-year-old only race at Cheltenham in October, those are the type of races we’ll be looking at. I’ll probably give him a break and then look at a run or two on the Flat first.”
In the end, this was a race that reinforced the depth of the juvenile division while offering a slightly different perspective on its hierarchy. Cheltenham may provide the headline acts, but Aintree has a way of reshaping the narrative, and here it was Mange Tout who stepped forward, not just as a winner, but as a filly of some substance and, perhaps, untapped potential.
Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1)
£110,000 guaranteed, 4yo only, 2m 209y, Class 1
10 ran
Going: Good to Soft
