Consistency levels remain high at Aintree for Smith

EVEN in defeat, the Grand National-winning combination of Sue Smith and Ryan Mania enhanced their Aintree reputations with the runs of Mr Moonshine and Gansey over the world-famous fences.

Mr Moonshine finished best of all to chase home the Philip Hobbs-trained Chance Du Roy and the veteran Baby Run in the Betfred Becher Chase – a National trial – after finding the going too soft for his liking.

And, for the second successive year, Gansey was denied a deserved victory in the Grand Sefton Chase over one circuit of the Merseyside course.

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Clear on the turn for home, he was eventually fourth to Rebel Rebellion – one of five ‘super Saturday’ winners for a resurgent Paul Nicholls.

This is a remarkable level of consistency for the Smith stable and bodes well for next April when Auroras Encore – fitness and weight permitting – will bid to become the first horse since Red Rum in the 1970s to win back-to-back Nationals.

It remains to be seen whether Mr Moonshine will line up in the National. He was pulled up in this year’s race – no decision is likely to be made until he contests another long-distance chase, possibly at Haydock next month.

One option could be the shorter Topham Trophy over two miles six furlongs at the Grand National meeting.

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“I was down the inner hunting away and I got a great run, there was nothing coming from behind today,” said Mania.

“He stayed on well but better ground would have helped him. He goes on the soft but he doesn’t quite finish his races so on better ground he would have run even better.”

There was a sad postscript to Gansey’s race when it emerged that the Venetia Williams-trained Plein Pouvoir had to be put down after fracturing his right fore elbow in a fall at the fourth last.

The Smith’s stable fine recent form was also self-evident at Wetherby when Rattlin won the handicap hurdle under young conditional Callum Bewley before De Boitron’s heartwarming win in the two-mile handicap chase.

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Defying top race, the admirably consistent nine-year-old – owned by Julie Morgan and Lindsey Shaw – was held up by veteran jockey Brian Harding, One Man’s winning pilot in the 1998 Queen Mother Champion Chase, before easing into contention with a flawless round of jumping.

The horse’s first run since joining the Smith stable after Ferdy Murphy relocated to France, De Boitron now has several options potentially open to him, including Doncaster’s feature chase this Saturday or a return to Wetherby for either the Rowland Meyrick or Castleford Chases at the West Yorkshire track’s Christmas meeting.

Meanwhile, De Boitron’s stablemate Coverholder made it two from two over fences with a victory at Kelso yesterday under the Mania.

The meeting saw young jockey Sam Twiston-Davies – victorious on De Boitron at the Scottish track in May – land the Persimmon Homes Scottish Borders National on Dr Richard Newland’s Royale Knight.

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It completed a remarkable three days for the 21-year-old who is tipped by many to be a future champion jockey. He produced one of the rides of the season on Major Malarkey to land the Devon National at Exeter on Friday and deny AP McCoy in a pulsating finish.

The much travelled Twiston-Davies then enjoyed a day to remember at Aintree; 13-year-old Baby Run’s remarkable second in the Becher was sandwiched by wins on Splash of Ginge and then the Nicholls-trained Unioniste, who is now one of Britain’s most exciting young chasers.

Third in Wetherby’s Charlie Hall Chase, the five-year-old grey – owned by John Hales of One Man fame – could travel to Ireland for the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.

“You wouldn’t have known that Unioniste had a run, it is amazing,” said Nicholls who has won three out of the last six renewals of the Lexus.

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“He is a youngster with the world at his feet, and I will consider the Lexus for him now. We also have Rocky Creek, Silviniaco Conti, Tidal Bay and Al Ferof in that. But Conti and Al Ferof have the King George as their targets, Tidal Bay also has the option of the Welsh National, and I am not sure if Rocky Creek will be ready for Leopardstown. But nothing will be decided until I talk it through with the owners.”

Meanwhile, Sprinter Sacre’s absence enabled Sire De Grugy to claim Grade One honours in Sandown’s Tingle Creek Chase for the father and son team of Gary and Jamie Moore, with Guiseley’s Dominic Elsworth second on Somersby.

n Steve Drowne was taken to hospital following a horrible incident on Jwala in the Longines Hong Kong Sprint yesterday that claimed the life of the Robert Cowell-trained Nunthorpe winner.

He was believed to have suffered injuries, including a broken collarbone, after his mount appeared to be squeezed between horses close to home, crashing to the ground and leaving Drowne needing immediate medical attention. He was stretchered from the track, but was conscious before being taken to hospital.

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The race was won in brilliant fashion by the Japanese-trained Lord Kanaloa, who beat Irish hope Sole Power by five lengths.

There was also disappointment for Yorkshire Oaks heroine The Fugue, who was only second in the Hong Kong Vase to Sha Tin. William Buick’s mount was not helped by a slow early pace. Although she rallied gamely in the closing stages, she could not overhaul Dominant.

The Fugue was coming off a second place in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, where she had looked the likely winner before being swamped by Aidan O’Brien’s Magician.

Simon Marsh, racing manager to owner Lady Lloyd Webber, bemoaned the slow pace. He said: “She was last into the straight and so did exceptionally well to finish where she did.

“She did receive a couple of knocks, but no excuses and we have great expectations for another good season next year.”