Jockey Elizabeth Gale was overjoyed to partner Celebre D'Allen (3-1 favourite) to victory in the Jewson Vieux Lion Rouge Veterans’ Handicap Chase as racing returned to the home of the Randox Grand National for the first time this season.
The 21-year-old rider, who used to come to ride ponies at Aintree Racecourse as a youngster, was landing a first victory Under Rules at the famous Liverpool track – and it was less than three years on from breaking two vertebrae in her back following a point-to-point fall. On the Philip Hobbs and Johnson White-trained 11-year-old, Gale eventually scored by 16 lengths from Landofsmiles (14-1) with Nester Park (4-1) a further three-and-three-quarters of a length further adrift in third. In an action-packed contest at Aintree Gale moved through aboard the 3-1 favourite before hitting the front ahead of Landofsmiles between the final two fences. Celebre D’Allen moved clear and jumped the final fence superbly to score comfortably.
Gale said: “It was easier than I thought it was going to be that’s for sure. He gave me a beautiful ride around. It was his first run of the season since running in the Topham so the aim was to just get him jumping really. He is an 11-year-old and he has seen it out beautifully. I used to come here as a kid with pony club and I never thought I would be walking down those steps. It is a massive deal for me, especially to ride a winner here. The plan was to go second division, but I got a couple of slow jumps early so I was right at the back. As soon as he got passed one he kept travelling and jumping. He just knows his job. I’ve had a long road to get here and anything I get is a bonus. A massive thanks to the governor and Johnson White. I’ve been there four seasons and I missed a good bit through injury, but I can’t complain as they look after me.
“I broke my back a few years ago point-to-pointing and I missed a year of racing. It has been slow to get going, but days like these will get me going. I’m over the moon. It was really hard (coming back), but we have some great people looking after us so I can’t complain. I’m fairly vague with targets, but if I could get a rode around in the conditional jockeys handicap hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival that would be a pinnacle moment for me like today is.”
Jockey James Turner lost his 10lb claim after partnering Equinus (5-2 favourite) to victory in the opener at Aintree, the Jewson Click And Collect Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle – but everything didn't go how he planned. The 21-year-old rider played a waiting game on board the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained gelded son of Shantou gelding. He brought the 5-2 favourite through to challenge after the third last where he joined Uno Mas, who was making his first start in 581 days. Equinus beat Secret Trix (9-2) by five lengths with Prairie Wolf (13-2) a further 16 lengths further back in third.
It was a fifth career victory for Turner, who said: “It wasn’t really Plan A as I was going to sit just behind the leaders, but they went too quick for him early. He was in a nice rhythm early on. The further he has gone he has just crept into the race. I was never too worried on him as he has been going well at home. That was pretty expected to be fair, but he has done it well. I’ve only been a conditional for three or four weeks, but I rode last season as an amateur for Nigel. Since turning conditional I’ve had two winners for Nigel, and that is my 10lb claim gone. It is all going well to be fair.”
Dual Grand National-winning trainer Twiston-Davies was also delighted to land another winner at Aintree. The Naunton handler added: “He is a smasher, but he has just taken a long time to mature. Going three miles has been the making of him. He didn’t jump that brilliantly, but going over fences is where his future is. I was worried beforehand if he would settle, but he nearly over settled and he was doing his best work at the end.”
Twiston-Davies double up with Master Chewy (2-1), who scored on his debut over fences in the Jewson St Helens Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase. And he could head to next month's November Meeting at the trainer's local track Cheltenham.
The son of Derby runner-up Walk In The Park has not won in his nine previous starts under Rules but on his first start over the bigger obstacles he looked as if he was finally gettinf the hang of thing. He was a 12-length winner of the two-mile contest ahead of the Donald McCain-trained General Officer (9-2). Now he could step up in grade for the Grade Two SSS Super Alloys Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase at Prestbury Park on November 17.
Twiston-Davies said: “Fences have been the making of him. He always looked good last season. He fell at Ascot when winning, but this is what it is all about and he was foot perfect around there. That was just excellent. He has always been superb over them (fences) at home. The future is bright. I think we will have to look at proper novice chase races. Very possibly we could to Cheltenham for the two-mile novices’ chase there, why not.”
Crambo (11-8 favourite) and jockey Connor Brace sealed a sixth success together in the Jewson Handicap Hurdle. Having been beaten into seventh in Grade One company over course and distance at the Grand National Festival in April, the Fergal O’Brien-trained six-year-old dropped down in grade to take the 2m4f contest comfortably by two-and-a-quarter lengths from Dan Skelton's Santos Blue (6-1). Sally Randell, assistant trainer, said: “That was great. He was unlucky here at the Grand National Festival. He got no kind of run, and he had a bit of bad luck. Back down in a handicap he has done it well. It was a bit of a worry with the hurdles in the home straight not being in, but Connor was not worried, and you could see that by the way he rode him. I think they get on well because they are two cheeky chaps together. I think we will look at some of those nice staying handicaps now with him. Hopefully he might be a bit better than that.”