JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle |
||
| Grade 1, Aintree 15:35 £250,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 3m 149y, Class 1  |
||
|
||
1 Sire Du Berlais 8/1
2 Marie's Rock 5/1
3 Flooring Porter 3/1
10 ran Distances: 3¼l, 6½l, 7½l
Time: 5m 59.82s (slow by 4.82s)
✅ Cheltenham & Aintree Double!
— Betfair Racing (@BetfairRacing) April 15, 2023
Sire Du Berlais wins the Liverpool Hurdle from an impossible position.
Matched at 200 (199/1) in-running.
pic.twitter.com/Klb8ABlWma
The admirable JP McManus-owned gelding completed the Cheltenham-Aintree double for Gordon Elliott and Mark Walsh after taking the equivalent contest at the Festival in March.
He was sent off at 8-1 despite his prior victory and looked like he was not in the mood at all in the first half of the race.
After cantering along at the rear of the field, he edged into the event gradually and came into his own when the race became a stamina test in the final furlong – defeating the strong-travelling Marie’s Rock by three and a quarter lengths, with Flooring Porter another six and a half lengths back in third.
Elliott said: “Unbelievable. To come back at this age and do it again, we’re absolutely delighted.
“Mark gave him a brilliant ride because he was flat to the boards the whole way and he just kept holing him and holding him and he kept picking up – it was brilliant.
“We didn’t do much with him (since Cheltenham). The girls took him to the beach a couple of times since the last day. We actually haven’t done any galloping really. We’ve just kept him happy.
“I’d say we will put him away now. He won’t go to Punchestown, anyway, I don’t think.
“He deserves a holiday now. He has been the horse of a lifetime and we’re lucky to have him.
“To be honest, I thought we were in a bit of trouble today, but he just kept picking up.”
A proud McManus said: “He is a wonderful horse. We are lucky to own him. I was thinking the day wasn’t going to be a going day, but in fairness to Mark, that was an exceptional ride – an exceptional ride.
“The horse doesn’t know his age.”
Of Marie’s Rock, Nicky Henderson said: “As Nico (de Boinville) said she tried her heart out, but the winner was out the back with Champ, so it was a remarkable performance by him.”
Gavin Cromwell added of Flooring Porter: “It was probably his best run of the season. We haven’t completely decided whether he will go to Punchestown.”
JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle
£250,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 3m 149y, Class 1
10 ran
Going: Good to Soft
POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 Sire Du Berlais 11 11-10 Gordon Elliott Mark Walsh 8/1
2 3¼ Marie's Rock 8 11-3 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville 5/1
3
6½ Flooring Porter 8 11-10 Gavin Cromwell Danny Mullins 3/1
4 7½ Meet And Greet 7 11-10 Oliver McKiernan Phillip Enright 16/1
5 3 Champ 11 11-10 Nicky Henderson Jonjo O'Neill Jr 6/1
6 8½ Dashel Drasher 10 11-10 Jeremy Scott Rex Dingle 13/2
7 12 Monmiral 6 11-10 Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden 25/1
8 8 Brewin'upastorm 10 11-10 Olly Murphy Aidan Coleman 28/1
PU
Proschema 8 11-10 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 40/1
PU Home By The Lee 8 11-10 Joseph O'Brien J J Slevin 9/2
