grand national 2011 /

Always Waining Gets Double Compensation in Topham
08/04/11

1 Always Waining 14/1
2 Mon Parrain 7/2 Fav
3 Scotsirish 20/1
4 Gonebeyondrecall 33/1
30 ran

West Wales trainer Peter Bowen confirmed he is king of the John Smith’s Topham Chase when winning the race for the third time in six years today.

Always Waining
© Grossick Racing Photography

His Always Waining, ridden by Tom O’Brien, won the race for the second successive year – the last horse to achieve that was Roughan in 1957 and 1958 – and followed up Dunbrody Millar’s victory for Bowen in 2007.

Today’s win was consolation for the trainer and owner Peter Douglas, who hoped their horse would line up in tomorrow’s John Smith’s Grand National, but he was the 41st horse on the handicapper’s list, and only 40 horses are allowed to take part.

Bowen criticised the system, because Always Waining had a handicap rating of 140 in tomorrow’s race, the same as Royal Rosa and Skippers Brig – they were placed ahead of him in the elimination list for having better recent form, but Bowen felt a ballot between the three would have been fairer, and he also said his horse’s winning Aintree form should have given him priority.

Bowen said: “I was disappointed the way the system works – if there are three horses in the National all with the same mark then a ballot should be conducted. Our horse has run three times [unplaced] over hurdles recently, so why was that form even considered? Having won the Topham last year he should have been considered first.

“We don’t know whether he would stay four and a half miles, but until we are given a chance to find out we won’t know. All season we have targeted the National, and he’s 11 next year so he’s not getting any younger. The problem is he hates soft winter ground – he blooms from mid March on - so if we run him in chases before next year’s Aintree meeting we risk lowering his handicap mark, not putting it up. We’re on a hiding to nothing.

“We gave a lot of our horses time off in December when they had flu jabs, and we don’t target Cheltenham, we target this meeting.”

O’Brien said: “The race didn’t go to script because we missed the break and from the second-last I was riding for second place. Then he heard the crowd and just took off.”

Position	Horse Trainer	Jockey Weight	Starting Price Beaten Distance
1	Always Waining P Bowen	T J O'Brien 10st 4lbs	14 - 1 Winner
2	Mon Parrain P F Nicholls	R Walsh 11st 6lbs	7 - 2 4 lengths
3	Scotsirish W P Mullins	D J Condon 11st 10lbs	20 - 1 6 lengths
4	Gonebeyondrecall N F Glynn	A E Lynch 10st 7lbs	33 - 1 10 lengths
5	Swing Bill D Pipe	T J Murphy 10st 8lbs	25 - 1 Neck
6	Frankie Figg J Howard Johnson	B Hughes 10st 7lbs	10 - 1 Nose
7	Shakalakaboomboom N J Henderson	B J Geraghty 10st 5lbs	25 - 1 6 lengths
8	Stormin Exit J S Goldie	J Reveley 10st 4lbs	20 - 1 Head
9	Chasing Cars Mrs J Harrington	R M Power 10st 7lbs	25 - 1 1 3/4 length
10	Sagalyrique D McCain Jnr	P J Brennan 10st 4lbs	33 - 1 16 lengths
11	Forzy Origny N J Henderson	Felix de Giles 10st 11lbs	28 - 1 9 lengths
12	Ballyholland C A McBratney	Andrew J McNamara 11st 1lbs	16 - 1 2 3/4 lengths
13	Edgbriar P R Webber	D Elsworth 10st 11lbs	40 - 1 17 lengths
14	Isn't That Lucky Jonjo O'Neill	R McGrath 10st 0lbs	16 - 1 16 lengths
15	Fistral Beach P F Nicholls	Nick Scholfield 10st 9lbs	28 - 1 9 lengths
16	Consigliere D Pipe	J M Maguire 11st 2lbs	33 - 1 2 1/2 lengths

O’BRIEN DELIGHTED WITH VICTORY

Tom O’Brien, the winning rider on Always Waining in the John Smith’s Topham Chase, said: “He never knows when he is beaten and I have to thank Peter Bowen for letting me ride him.

“I rode him on his run before this race last year and I thought that it was amazing that he won here but he comes alive when he hears the cheers.

“I thought that he was going to be second but, as soon as the crowd cheered, he just took off.

“I was supposed to ride Private Be last year but unfortunately he dropped me at the start. It was quite hard walking back in and seeing Always Waining (with Brian Hughes up) win.

“I was under instructions just to let Always Waining see what he was doing and I ended up missing the start. He just kept jumping from fence to fence and getting closer to the front, with the others falling away. I thought that I had a chance when we were jumping Becher’s.

“I was second for Peter on McKelvey in the Grand National and it’s good to get it right on the day.”


Peter Bowen, the winning trainer, added: “He is just brilliant round here. He loves this place and he ran quite well over hurdles last time, so we were happy with him. He was unlucky not to get in the Grand National but this is some compensation.

“My son Nicky rides him out everyday so he is absolutely over the moon.


Nicky Bowen, who led up Always Waining, added: “He has been in good form. He is a bit of a monkey but he loves it round here and only comes to life over those fences. He’s only small but he has got a big heart.”

NEW COURSE RECORD

Always Waining set a new course record time of 5m 19.30s for the two miles, five and a half furlongs over the Grand National fences.

MON PARRAIN IS EXCITING PROSPECT

Trainer Paul Nicholls was looking forward to next season with Mon Parrain after the 7/2 favourite finished second to Always Waining in the John Smith’s Topham Chase.

Mon Parrain
© Racehorse Photos

“I couldn’t believe he got beaten,” said Nicholls. “I think he probably just did a bit much and ran out of petrol on the way to the line.

“What he wants is a good summer break as he’s only five, then he’s going to be a fair animal next year. I’m certainly going to train him like a good horse and it was a close call whether I ran him yesterday with Denman in the totesport Bowl.

“I’ve still not convinced about what his trip is and he shows so much speed at home that I wouldn’t be afraid to start him off over two and half miles.”

The Willie Mullins-trained Scotsirish was runner-up in last year’s John Smith’s Topham Chase and this time around finished in the money again with a good third behind Always Waining and Mon Parrain.

Mullins said: “We were delighted with how he ran and jumped. Davy gave him a super ride and it’s great to be back in the frame again.

“When you’re jumping this track just to get a clear round and some prize money counts for a lot.”