Powell bounces back to earn bragging rights
IT’S hard to believe anyone appreciated their Festival success more than jockey Brendan Powell yesterday. It is just as tough to think there will be a more significant personal success than his win on David Bridgwater-trained The Conditional in the Ultima Handicap Chase. The 25-year-old son of Grand National-winning jockey and former trainer Brendan Snr burst on to the scene as a teenager with the racing world at his feet, but opportunities dried up. The fightback, however, began this season, backed by trainers Michael Scudamore and Bridgwater. Having only had nine winners last season, The Conditional made it 26 for Powell this term and also gave him bragging rights over his father — now one of trainer Joseph O’Brien’s trusted lieutenants in Ireland — with three Festival wins giving him one more than his dad. Powell said: ‘I never lacked confidence but you cannot do it if you’re not on the right horses. When you get some momentum, things start to happen and you get on better horses. I would like to say a massive thanks to David Bridgwater, Michael Scudamore and (owners) Lynne and Angus Maclennan, just to name a few. ‘I was really struggling last year for winners and they have brought me back up again.’ Powell’s success also came with a bucket-load of emotion. Last month he was a pall bearer at the funeral of his friend and former jockey James Banks. An emotional Powell said: ‘We lost James about a month ago and I know he was watching down on us today.’ Powell had to pick up The Conditional after his nose hit the turf with a mistake at the second last. But Bridgwater reckoned that error ultimately worked in his favour as the 15-2 winner did not hit the front too soon. It was a first Festival win as a trainer for Bridgwater, who enjoyed five as a jockey. He sees The Conditional, runner-up in the Ladbrokes Trophy Chase in
November, as a future Grand National contender. The Conditional is the best horse Bridgwater has had since The Giant Bolster, who was placed in three Gold Cups. He said: ‘I know we haven’t had many bullets to fire here, but I wouldn’t necessarily run a horse here that hasn’t got a chance. I was pretty confident.’ Trainer Kim Bailey is one of the few trainers who has won the Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle and Grand National. He secured his first Festival win since Darna won the 2015 Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Plate Chase when 4-1 shot Imperial Aura beat fellow joint favourite Galvin under David Bass in the Novices’ Handicap Chase.