bet365 Oaksey Chase
Grade 2, Sandown 14:25
£80,000 guaranteed,
5yo plus,
2m 6f 164y, Class 1    
Saturday 27th April 2024

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1 Fantastic Lady 9/1
2 Ga Law 13/2
3 Hitman 5/2J
7 ran Distances: 2½l, 9l
Time: 5m 46.00s (slow by 2.00s)

Fantastic Lady delivered an impressive performance to secure victory in fine style.

Having finished third in the same race last year behind Hewick, she made only her fourth appearance of the campaign. Earlier, she had put up a strong showing in the Topham Chase at Aintree, navigating the Grand National fences, and had also come close in the Grand Sefton back in November.

Despite trainer Nicky Henderson’s challenging spring, the team rallied, and Fantastic Lady, ridden by Nico de Boinville, stealthily moved into contention at the Pond Fence. A mistake by The Real Whacker dashed his chances, leaving Hitman to falter under pressure. In the end, Fantastic Lady triumphed by two and a half lengths, besting Ga Law

“She is remarkable and we kept her all season for the Topham,” said Henderson.

“She was second in the Topham last year and then came here and was third in this last year and I thought we haven’t got anything else to do, so let’s have a look at it.

“She was really good and Nico said ‘it’s lucky you don’t tie me down (to instruction)’ as the plan was to get up there and go and when it was all happening up front, Nico said he decided to do the complete opposite. Well done to Nico, fair play it was a great piece of riding.”

He went on: “It was great from her to come back so quickly from Aintree, she jumped round there again and finished sixth. She’s a lovely mare and looks great and I was fearing she would be in foal this season, but it looks like she is going to have to play on.

“She jumps like nothing on earth and if you know the farm she has come from, she will have jumped a thousand fences before she came to Seven Barrows.

“Aintree was always our aim. At one stage we were thinking about the Grand National but she wasn’t going to get in – maybe the handicapper will have something to say about it after that and she will get in.”

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bet365 Oaksey Chase
(For The Menorah Challenge Trophy)
£80,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 2m 6f 164y, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Good, Good to Soft in places

POS. DIST HORSE AGE TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1    Fantastic Lady 9 10-13 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville 9/1
2 2½ Ga Law 8 11-6 Jamie Snowden Gavin Sheehan 13/2
3 9 Hitman 8 11-2 Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden 5/2J
4 7 Easy Game 10 11-8 W P Mullins Paul Townend 11/2
5 9½ The Real Whacker 8 11-5 Patrick Neville Sam Twiston-Davies 5/2J
6 17 Straw Fan Jack 9 11-2 Sheila Lewis Sean Houlihan 20/1
7 22 Al Dancer 11 11-2 Sam Thomas Dylan Johnston 13/2

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