Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Novices' Hurdle
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Grade 1, Aintree 14:20
£110,000 guaranteed,
4yo only,
2m 209y, Class 1   
Thursday 3rd April 2025

BetGoodwin

1 Murcia 11/4
2 Live Conti 16/1
3 Puturhandstogether 6/4F
13 ran Distances: 6l, 1¼l, 2½l
Time: 4m 10.14s (slow by 10.14s)

Murcia cruised to a dominant victory, with an effortless display that saw her power away from the field. Under a confident ride from Paul Townend, and donning the Honeysuckle colours of Kenny Alexander, the Willie Mullins-trained filly produced a display full of promise, bouncing back from her Cheltenham disappointment in the Fred Winter.

The 11-4 favourite made full use of her weight allowance, asserting her authority over the final hurdles and drawing clear to win by a commanding six lengths from Live Conti.

Mullins admitted to being surprised by the performance, saying: “I wasn’t expecting anything like that. I was hoping the better ground might make a difference and that she might sneak into the first four. But, if you’re not in it, you can’t win – and she was exceptional today. The ground was definitely a help, and carrying less weight has suited her – it’s the right weight for a mare.”

When asked about Punchestown, Mullins responded eagerly, “Yes! We’re hopeful she’ll come out of this well. She’s a tough mare, and we’ve put her through a lot this winter. To post a career-best in April is a great sign. It could make next year a bit tougher, but she’s a Grade One winner now, and there’s a solid programme for mares. After Punchestown, we’ll give her a nice break – unless we decide on Auteuil!”

A delighted Kenny Alexander added: “She’s just kept improving all season. Her run at Cheltenham was fair, but today was a whole different level. I reckon she’s improved by a stone since then. Maybe the faster ground suited her, but whatever the reason, it was a fantastic performance. After Honeysuckle, I thought we might be in for a bit of a drought – but since then, we’ve bagged a few good ones, and this is another terrific result.”

Dan Skelton, trainer of runner-up Live Conti, was full of praise for his charge, saying: “He was a bit green early on, but I was really surprised by how much pace he showed. He’s National Hunt-bred and wouldn’t strike you as a fast type at home, but he’s run exceptionally well. Giving 7lb to the winner, who was fantastic, shows his quality. I’ve got a lot of belief in him for the future, and today has only strengthened that.”

Reflecting on his future plans for the horse, Skelton continued: “He’ll stick to hurdles next season, and we’ll take our time. No rush. We want to get it right for next season and beyond, when we’ll hopefully see him go chasing and make a real mark.”

Asked about the mounting pressure in the trainers’ championship battle, with Mullins continuing his dominance at Aintree, Skelton remained calm: “Not at the moment, no. We’ll see how the next couple of days go. We’ve had two runners today, and they’ve both run unbelievably well. If Willie does manage to get the better of us again, that’ll be borderline unnecessary!”

SureWIn

Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1)
£110,000 guaranteed, 4yo only, 2m 209y, Class 1
13 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Good in places

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1    Murcia 4 10-9 W P Mullins Paul Townend 11/4
2 6 Live Conti 4 11-2 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 16/1
3 1¼ Puturhandstogether 4 11-2 Joseph O'Brien Mark Walsh 6/4F
4 2½ Give It To Me Oj 4 11-2 Gary & Josh Moore Caoilin Quinn 28/1
5 11 Wendrock 4 11-2 Gordon Elliott Sam Ewing 10/1
6 9½ Filibustering 4 11-2 Harry Derham Paul O'Brien 16/1
7 ¾ Mambonumberfive 4 11-2 Ben Pauling Ben Jones 22/1
8 5 Gibbs Island 4 11-2 Tom Lacey Sean Bowen 16/1
FELL Naturally Nimble 4 11-2 Joseph O'Brien J J Slevin 16/1
FELL Willy De Houelle 4 11-2 W P Mullins 12/1
PU   Terrorise 4 11-2 Brian Ellison Craig Nichol 150/1
PU   Aviemore 4 11-2 Harry Derham Harry Cobden 28/1
PU   Coconut Grove 4 11-2 Harry Fry Bryan Carver 100/1

Cleeve Racing £10 trial