Cavani Menswear Sefton Novices' Hurdle
Grade 1, Aintree 16:40
£100,000 guaranteed,
4yo plus,
3m 149y, Class 1   
Friday 8th April 2022

1 Gelino Bello 7/2
2 Gentleman At Arms 28/1
3 Haute Estime 100/1
14 ran Distances: 4½l, 4l, 3l
Time: 6m 11.41s (slow by 16.41s)

A winner at the track in October and at Newbury last time out, going left-handed and on a flat surface clearly suits Gelino Bello.

Beaten twice by the sidelined Blazing Khal at Cheltenham mid-season, he was paying a handsome compliment to Charles Byrnes’ charge.

Never far from the pace under Harry Cobden, he jumped up alongside Stag Horn and Skytastic at the third-last and when the latter met it wrong his race was over.

Stag Horn also quickly faded and it was left to the Stuart Edmunds-trained Gentleman At Arms to give Gelino Bello most to do.

But the 7-2 chance pulled four and a half lengths clear to provide Nicholls and Cobden with some consolation following the disappointing effort of Bravemansgame earlier in the afternoon.

In the race in which Lucinda Russell launched Ahoy Senor into stardom at 66-1 last year, this time she fielded Haute Estime to be third at 100-1.

Trainers Quotes

Winning trainer Paul Nicholls said: “He ran OK at Cheltenham earlier in the season and has just needed all the time to mature.

“We gave him a lot of time and he ran well at Newbury the last day. We didn’t want to go to Cheltenham with him as we thought we’d be better off waiting for here and he’ll keep getting better as he gets stronger.

“He’ll definitely go novice chasing next year. He’s already jumped fences and he’ll be doing that in October.

“He is an exciting prospect. It was a good race to win today and he can only get better.”

Edmunds said of his runner-up: “We’d aimed him at this all year and I’m chuffed to bits.

“There was no messing about and he had to push his way out of trouble.

“He’s not short of boot, and you could step him back in trip.”

Mathematician Betting

Sefton Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1)
£100,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 3m 149y, Class 1
14 ran
Going: Good to Soft

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 - Gelino Bello 6 11-7 Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden 7/2
2 4½ Gentleman At Arms 5 11-7 Stuart Edmunds Ciaran Gethings 28/1
3 4 Haute Estime 5 11-0 Lucinda Russell Derek Fox 100/1
4 3 Crystal Glory 6 11-7 Nicky Richards Sean Quinlan 11/2
5 10 Bridge North 6 11-7 Henry Daly Richard Patrick 80/1
6 1¾ Fair Frontieres 7 11-7 Kim Bailey David Bass 40/1
7 6½ My Bobby Dazzler 7 11-7 Mel Rowley Alex Edwards 20/1
8 shd Stag Horn 5 11-7 Archie Watson Nick Scholfield 20/1
9 9½ Green Book 5 11-7 Venetia Williams Charlie Deutsch 14/1
10 8 Skytastic 6 11-7 Sam Thomas Sam Twiston-Davies 11/2
11 7 Bowtogreatness 6 11-7 Ben Pauling Kielan Woods 40/1
12 49 Banbridge 6 11-7 Joseph O'Brien J J Slevin 5/2F
13 ½ Duke Of Bronte 8 11-7 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 33/1
PU Bold Endeavour 6 11-7 L J Morgan Adam Wedge 12/1

Trainers Quotes