Jet2 Liverpool Hurdle |
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| Grade 1, Aintree 15:05 £250,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 3m 149y, Class 1  |
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1 Home By The Lee 5/1
2
Take No Chances 18/1
3
Honesty Policy 5/2F
11 ran NR: Happy Jacky
Distances: 7l, 1¼l, ¾l Time: 6m 13.01s (slow by 16.01s)
First Cheltenham and now AINTREE! 🏆🏆
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) April 11, 2026
Home By The Lee is a class apart in the Jet2 Liverpool Hurdle 🥇
The undisputed stayers' champion of the season! 👏#ITVRacing | @JosephOBrien2 pic.twitter.com/HgtyOtHnfn
There are horses who find a way to extend their relevance beyond the usual boundaries of age, and Home By The Lee is proving himself firmly in that category. His victory here, following on from success in the Stayers’ at Cheltenham, was less a surprise than a reaffirmation of enduring class and carefully applied tactics.
Joseph O’Brien’s veteran had previously failed to complete on his two visits to Aintree, and there was a sense that this track had posed questions he had yet to answer. This time, however, the approach was different, and so too the outcome. Ridden prominently by J J Slevin, he was never far from the pace, his position allowing him to dictate rather than react.
The decisive move came down the back straight, where the tempo was lifted with intent. It was a calculated shift, designed to test the stamina of those around him, and for a moment in the straight, as rivals began to close, it appeared he might be vulnerable. Yet what followed was a demonstration of resilience as much as ability, the 11-year-old finding more under pressure to pull clear and win by seven lengths.
O’Brien, reflecting on both the performance and the evolution of his charge, was clear in his assessment.
“He has been a star for a number of years and we have been learning about him as well. We had a plan today that once they got down the back straight that JJ (Slevin) was going to inject the pace and he really stepped up the pace of the race down the back.
“We said whoever was going to win today was going to out stay us and he outstayed all of them. JJ gave him a fantastic ride. Unfortunately Sean (O’Driscoll, owner) and his family are away with their grandkids and they are having a great time with their family, but they will enjoy today. He is a very special horse and I’m delighted for JJ.
“We have been riding him a little bit differently and he is an older horse. He is just in great shape, but we have been learning about him as well.
“Hewick has set up the two races for him pretty good as it is hard to get a horse to put on the tempo all the way.
“I think we got it wrong here before. Everyone said that the track didn’t suit him, but we were happy enough we could take the blame here for the two trips before. We felt that if we could get him here in the same shape as Cheltenham and apply similar tactics we could potentially outstay them today. He is a superstar. He is a tricky customer and he is not an easy horse to deal with, but it is a big day.”
Behind him, Take No Chances ensured Dan Skelton’s remarkable day continued to gather momentum, her effort full of credit as she travelled smoothly into contention before finding the winner simply too strong in the closing stages.
“I said beforehand I trust her with my life. I’m super proud of her. She travelled into it so well and jumped beautifully. Fair play to the winner as what a horse. We were never going to get by him, but she has run beautifully and we are very proud of her. She has had another great season and we love her.”
Honesty Policy, the market leader, filled third, but the day belonged to a horse who, despite advancing years, continues to adapt, endure and, when the race demands it, assert. Home By The Lee may be an older hand, but here he showed that experience, allied to the right tactics, remains a potent combination.
Jet2 Liverpool Hurdle
£250,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 3m 149y, Class 1
12 ran
Going: Good to Soft
