Betway Mersey Novices' Hurdle |
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| Grade 1, Aintree 14:25 £100,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m 4f, Class 1  |
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| Saturday 6th April 2019 | |
1 Reserve Tank 20/1
2 Brewin'upastorm 10/3
3 Angels Breath 11/4F
3 One For Rosie 5/1
9 ran Distances: 3¼l, 2¼l, dht
Time: 4m 50.30s (slow by 7.30s)
Reserve Tank wins for Colin Tizzard and Robbie Power
Reserve Tank lands the hat-trick and wins the Betway Mersey Novices' Hurdle at @AintreeRaces pic.twitter.com/5npvhHWmbN
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) April 6, 2019
20/1 shot Reserve Tank continued a fine week for trainer Colin Tizzard with an eye-catching success.
Ridden by Robbie Power, recording his third G1 success of the week at Aintree, the five-year-old son of Jeremy showed a smart turn of foot in the closing stages to repel the sustained challenge of the Olly Murphy-trained Brewin'upastorm to score by three and a quarter-lengths.
Tizzard and Power teamed up yesterday to land the £100,000 G1 Betway Mildmay Novices' Chase with Lostintranslation and the Sherborne handler was delighted to record another big-race success.
Tizzard said: "Reserve Tank has only just come into his coat now. He has ulcers at Christmas and wasn't going anywhere, but now he has won three on the trot. You never know where this improvement comes from sometimes.
"He has improved leaps and bounds in his last three runs.
"It was a beautiful ride from Robbie. He is a strong stayer and did everything right. They can get caught after the last quite easily here but he is strong stayer. In the end, he won it well and was going away at the line.
"We might take him to Punchestown. I can't see any reason why we wouldn't really consider it because he has won his last three and is only a novice this season, so we might well go.
"I am sure that we will run him over two and half chasing next year but he is a stayer and will be a three-miler in time."
"Fair play to Colin Tizzard and [son] Joe, this horse has improved so much as the year has gone on," reported Power. "He has surprised me a bit. He was a big, weak baby when I won on him at Sandown, but he has just improved and improved all season.
"We didn't go mad and it was steady away. He loved that drying ground and, when I asked him three out, he actually quickened up very well. I have always thought that three miles would be his trip but he showed me a gear today that I didn't think he had. He stays well.
"He is going to make a lovely chaser next year - he jumps his hurdles really well, so neat - and I would imagine he will definitely be going staying chasing next season."
Betway Mersey Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1)
£100,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m 4f, Class 1
9 ran
Going: Good, Good to Soft in places
| Pos | Dist | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Reserve Tank (IRE) 20/1 | R M Power 11-4 |
C L Tizzard | 5 | |
| 2nd | 3¼ | Brewin'upastorm (IRE) 10/3 | R Johnson 11-4 |
Olly Murphy | 6 |
| 3rd | 2¼ | Angels Breath (IRE) 11/4f | Nico de Boinville 11-4 |
N J Henderson | 5 |
| 3rd | d.h | One For Rosie 5/1 | Sam Twiston-Davies 11-4 |
N A Twiston-Davies | 6 |
| 5th | 1¾ | Chosen Mate (IRE) 6/1 | D N Russell 11-4 |
G Elliott | 6 |
| 6th | 2½ | Umbrigado (IRE) 10/1 | T Scudamore 11-4 |
D Pipe | 5 |
| 7th | 1¼ | Kateson 6/1 | Sean Bowen 11-4 |
Tom Lacey | 6 |
| 8th | 6 | The Big Bite (IRE) 25/1 | C Gethings 11-4 |
T R George | 6 |
| 9th | 36 | Colonel Custard (IRE) 25/1 | Matt Griffiths 11-4 |
Nicky Martin | 6 |
