Cavani Menswear Sefton Novices' Hurdle |
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| Grade 1, Aintree 16:40 £100,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 3m 149y, Class 1  |
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1 Dancing City 4/1
2 The Jukebox Man 85/40F
3 Cherie D'am 7/1
8 ran NR: Readin Tommy Wrong Distances: 5½l, 7½l, 4¾l
Time: 6m 34.82s (slow by 39.82s)
🟡⚫️ Dancing City wins the Sefton to land his second Grade One winner
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 12, 2024
Fingers crossed for Kyntara 🤞 pic.twitter.com/oXhfaLwwja
The Willie Mullins-trained Dancing City galloped to a convincing victory in the prestigious Grade 1.
In a race that tested stamina to the fullest, Albert Bartlett runner-up The Jukebox Man and Pertemps second Kyntara ensured an authentic challenge.
Meanwhile, the highly regarded Shanagh Bob found himself in a tight spot at the top of the home straight. However, Dancing City, who had finished third in the Albert Bartlett, regained momentum when the pace intensified.
Despite Kyntara stumbling and falling wearily at the final hurdle, Dancing City surged ahead, leaving no doubt about the outcome. Under the skilled guidance of jockey Paul Townend, Dancing City triumphed by a commanding margin of five and a half lengths.
The Jukebox Man put up a commendable performance, securing second place and leaving Cherie D’am well behind in the rearview.
Townend said: "He's growing up all the time. He learnt a lot from that run at Cheltenham and he's maturing; he rides like a raw horse. Leaving the back straight I hit a flat spot and I thought I was going nowhere but by the time we'd crossed the bottom I was able to fill him back up, he came back on it and I think he has a big future.
"Once he came back on it and picked himself up he picked up nicely for me up the straight again and took in the scenery here on Ladies' Day off the back of the last.
"I can't wait to jump a fence on him. He's big, immature, loads of scope and I think he'll progress again. He's progressed so much from last year to this year and I think he can do it again."
The successful handler added: "He was on my for sale list at one stage. He just wasn't performing the way we thought but now he's putting his head above the parapet.
"I thought he was going to make a much smarter horse but he's had to go out in trip to three miles and it's over three years since I bought him; it just shows that he's the horse that we thought we were buying. Sometimes they just take that length of time but he looks a really smart type and we know he jumps fences really well."
Sefton Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1)
£100,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 3m 149y, Class 1
8 ran
Going: Soft
POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 Dancing City 7 11-8 W P Mullins Paul Townend 4/1
2 5½ The Jukebox Man 6 11-8 Ben Pauling Kielan Woods 85/40F
3 7½ Cherie D'Am 6 11-1 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 7/1
4 4¾ Shanagh Bob 6 11-8 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville 7/2
5 dht Pinot Rouge 6 11-1 Susan Corbett Edward Austin 80/1
6 7 Ballybentragh 7 11-8 Gary Moore Mr David Maxwell 50/1
FELL
Kyntara 8 11-8 Mel Rowley Charlie Deutsch 10/1
PU
Croke Park 6 11-8 Gordon Elliott Jack Kennedy 5/1
NR 5 Readin Tommy Wrong 6 11-8 W P Mullins NON RUNNER
