SMAD’LL DO NICELY
PAGES OF FANTASTIC START WITH HORSE RACING
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SMAD PLACE showed he is still a force to be reckoned with at Aintree yesterday.
Alan King’s 10-year-old won a battle of the greys in the 188Bet Monet’s Garden Old Roan Limited Handicap Chase.
Cloudy Dream loomed up menacingly in the straight and looked a big threat, but Smad Place dug in and would not be denied.
Jumping into the lead three from home, the 2015 Hennessy Gold Cup hero was given a reminder by Wayne Hutchinson before taking the last the better of the two and galloping on to score by three-quarters of a length.
Weights
“That was terrific,” said Hutchinson. “There’s still life in the old boy yet, especially as he’s a bit lower in the weights. It turned into a staying race up the straight and that has obviously suited him.
“He’s not good enough to win a Gold Cup or a King George, but he doesn’t know how to run a bad race and doesn’t owe anyone anything.”
Trainer Malcolm Jefferson said of the runner-up: “He has run a blinder. He’s settling down now and settled into the race and jumped well. “He’ll go for the BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham next, as long as the ground is suitable.” Point-to-point graduate On The Blind Side took the Bet £10 Get £20 At 188Bet Maiden Hurdle. Having won his only start between the flags last winter, the five-year-old was snapped up for £205,000 by owner Alan Spence and sent to Nicky Henderson. Sent off 2-1 favourite, he hit the front in the home straight and was always doing enough to win cosily in the hands of Nico de Boinville.
“We were hoping he’d run well, but Nicky’s horses aren’t quite there yet,” said Spence. “I’m not saying he needed the run, but he’ll definitely come on for the race. I’m delighted he’s won and he should improve. There are a few more races in him, hopefully.”
Laganore gave trainer Tony Martin and jockey Colin Keane a first Group One success when landing the Premio Lydia Tesio at Capannelle in Rome. The five-year-old had finished third in the race last year.
The daughter of Fastnet Rock finished two lengths clear of A Raving Beauty with Absolute Blast a further five lengths back in third for Archie Watson and Luke Morris.
“I rode her at Gowran last time and she did it very well again today,” said Keane. “Winning my first Group One is the cherry on top of what has been a brilliant season.”