Monet’s Garden blooms in Old Roan Chase at Aintree
There was a time, back when Aintree raced just three days a year, when course specialists were those hardy annuals who ran in the Grand National like Red Rum, Rondetto and The Pilgarlic.
Now, in an expanded fixture list, other horses have become more of a fixture at the track and Monet’s Garden made it five wins in nine course starts with his third victory in the Grade Two totetentofollow Old Roan Chase.
Rising 13, Monet’s Garden was not the favourite but Dougie Costello, who was riding the horse for the first time, employed the favoured tactics by taking the lead from the start. He was still in front at the fourth-last, with four still chasing him that immediately became three when I'msingingtheblues fell and then two as Albertas Run, the topweight in this limited handicap, began to weaken.
Tartak was shot by the second-last but Monet’s Garden looked there to be shot at by Poquelin, to whom Monet’s Garden was conceding 1lb as well as five years. But age shall not weary a winner and Monet’s Garden found more with a flying jump at the last to win by a half-length with Tartak another 28 lengths back in third.
Nicky Richards is now considering running Monet’s Garden next in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon on December 9th.
Earlier in the week there had been the first salvos fired by those who expect to be contending this season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup. On Monday Nigel Twiston-Davies suggested Paul Nicholls was running scared of his Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander, because Nicholls was planning to run What A Friend in next month’s Betfair Chase at Haydock, rather than either Kauto Star or Denman.
Nicholls replied on his Twitter page that: "Denman & Kauto had sleepless nights last night after reading ydays news! What A Friend slept like a log though.”
Both trainers had runners in the Grade Two totesport.com Persian War Novices' Hurdle at Chepstow, but it was all a little one-sided. Frascati Park, the Twiston-Davies runner, was already beaten when he blundered at the third-last Silviniaco Conti came away for a 13-length win for Noel Fehily.
Neither trainer got close to winning the main race on the card, the Listed totesport Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle, as Donald McCain’s Any Given Day turned the race into a procession with a clear-cut victory and the biggest moment in the short career of 7lb claimer Henry Brooke.
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