Huyton Asphalt Franny Blennerhassett Memorial Mildmay Novices’ Chase |
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| Grade 1, Aintree 13:45 £120,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 3m 149y, Class 1  |
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1 Caldwell Potter 11/4JF
2 Jordans 11/1
3 The Changing Man
11/1
7 ran NR: Stellar Story Distances: 1¼l, 22l
Time: 6m 18.11s (slow by 6.11s)
Cheltenham and Aintree double!
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 4, 2025
Caldwell Potter puts up a fine round of jumping for more Grade One glory at Aintree 👏 @CobdenHarry @PFNicholls pic.twitter.com/1gmcuCbKw2
Caldwell Potter delivered a foot-perfect round of jumping, providing Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden with another headline moment on day two of the Grand National meeting.
The Cheltenham Festival winner, already something of a comeback story, was sent off the 11-4 joint-favourite alongside Handstands. But any hopes for Ben Pauling’s charge were dashed early—his race undone when the fall of Dancing City caused havoc, leaving him with no chance of recovering.
That left the stage clear for the striking grey, and boy, did Caldwell Potter seize it.
Taking the race by the scruff of the neck, he measured every fence with the precision of a seasoned pro. Jordans tried to serve it up to him late on, but when it mattered most—at the last—Potter produced one final, slick leap that sealed the deal. He pulled away with purpose to win by a length and a quarter.
“He jumped brilliantly,” Nicholls beamed afterwards. “The ground was a slight worry, but the way he moves, I actually think he wants better ground. His feet have been a real headache, like trying to break in a new pair of shoes—blisters and all! But today, he floated.”
This win marks a sharp turnaround in fortunes for the €740,000 purchase from Gordon Elliott’s yard, who had his critics after a winless winter. But a Cheltenham handicap win turned the tide, and now a Grade One in the silks of the late John Hales—with Sir Alex Ferguson among the jubilant syndicate—suggests there's plenty more to come.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” Nicholls mused. “We’re still learning. He’s not a two-miler, we know that now. He’s a left-handed horse, and he could be looking at something like the Betfair Chase next season.”
After crossing the line, Cobden dismounted swiftly in the heat, opting to get the saddle off and the horse cooled down, but was quick to pay tribute.
“He wasn’t quite as electric as Cheltenham—he was running on fumes from a long way out—but he was so brave over the last. That jump won it for us. He’s incredibly tough,” said Cobden to Racing TV.
J J Slevin was full of praise for runner-up Jordans, saying: “That was a big run. Joseph took a bit of a punt running him here but he’s run an absolute stormer. It took a Cheltenham winner to beat us.”
And Joe Tizzard was smiling despite The Changing Man finishing third.
“He’s danced every dance this season,” he said. “We rolled the dice today, and maybe a long campaign caught up with him after two out. But he’s genuine, and we’ll have a crack at the Coral Gold Cup next year. He’s earned it.”
Mildmay Novices' Chase (Grade 1)
£120,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 3m 149y, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Good in places
POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 Caldwell Potter 7 11-7 Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden 11/4F
2 1¼ Jordans 6 11-7 Joseph O'Brien J J Slevin 11/1
3 22 The Changing Man 8 11-7 Joe Tizzard Brendan Powell 11/1
BD Quai De Bourbon 6 11-7 W P Mullins Mr P W Mullins 9/2
FELL Dancing City 8 11-7 W P Mullins Paul Townend 4/1
PU Handstands 6 11-7 Ben Pauling Ben Jones 11/4J
PU
Don't Rightly Know 10 11-0 Polly Gundry Charlie Deutsch 20/1
NR 6 Stellar Story 8 11-7 Gordon Elliott NON RUNNER
