LIZZIE’S REDEMPTION
LIZZIE KELLY endured ‘the longest walk of my entire life’ when returning to the weighing room after Tea For Two unseated her at the second fence in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month.
Yesterday she was back walking on air after her 10-1 mount cut down favourite Cue Card to win the Betway Bowl by a neck on the opening day of the Grand National meeting.
Only three weeks after her Cheltenham disappointment, Kelly, the first female jockey to ride a grade one winner over jumps, has two to her name thanks to Tea For Two, the gelding trained by her mother Jane and stepfather Nick Williams.
Kelly, 23, said: ‘That walk back to the (Cheltenham) weighing room was probably the longest walk of my entire life. I wanted to crawl back but unfortunately these (orange) colours are quite bright, so I couldn’t quite do that. I had planned for the race meticulously and all of a sudden you are out.
‘I did start introducing myself as Lizzie Kelly, the Gold Cup falling-off jockey.’
The fact that Tea For Two’s race ended so abruptly at Cheltenham was probably influential on yesterday’s result, according to Kelly.
Cue Card, who clung on resolutely yesterday despite being under pressure a long way out under Paddy Brennan, endured a tougher race at Cheltenham and made it to the third last fence before his Gold Cup ended.
Kelly, who said she planned to celebrate by getting ‘steaming’ last night, has no ride in the National but reckons Tea For Two is a future contender.
There was a scare for Katie Walsh when she suffered a badly bruised arm in a fall at The Chair in the Foxhunters’ Chase, won by Dineur. But despite a trip to the hospital she still hopes to ride Paul Nichollstrained Wonderful Charm in tomorrow’s Grand National.
The only withdrawal from the race at yesterday’s final declaration was Charlie Longsdontrained Pendra, who is lame. His absence allows David Pipe’s Doctor Harper in the race.
Nicholls-trained Just A Par has become the third contender owned by the Thompson family after being sold for £100,000 yesterday. The family, who own the Cheveley Park Stud, have already bought Highland Lodge and Le Mercurey.