PIPE DREAM
David lands fourth Mids National
TRAINER David Pipe landed his fourth Midlands National win in a row with Goulanes.
The 13/ 2 favourite looked like winning from a long way out in the marathon contest and powered almost six lengths clear from his rivals after jumping the last fence.
Outsiders filled the places in second home Alpha Victor ( 33/ 1), while third West End Rocker and fourth Summery Justice were both 20/ 1.
Winning rider Richard Johnson said: “Johnson, who had two winners at the Festival himself, said: “He was very good, they went a really hard gallop early on, the ground is drying but it’s tacky and hard work.
“He jumped well bar the third last, Tom Scudamore said to humour him a bit but he jumped the last well.
“He’s a bit of a character but he’s got ability. When he got to the front he was looking at everything. It’s been a great week.”
The bookies have cut the winner’s price from 66/ 1 to 33s for next month’s Aintree Grand National.
At Kempton, Tony McCoy was still feeling the effects of a bad fall at Cheltenham this week and didn’t take any of his rides.
Battered
It looks like the champ will be missing for a couple of weeks while he recovers.
McCoy rides most of Jonjo O’Neill’s horses and he said: ““He’s just battered and bruised. He wants to take a couple of weeks off, that’s what he should do, not a couple of days.”
On the track, 14/ 1 shot Carole’s Destrier was the winner of the first running of the Kempton Park Silver Plate.
The race was put together for for horses that couldn’t get a run in the handicap hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival.
Carole’s Destrier had already showed his quality when winning his maiden in bottomless ground at Huntingdon in January.
He showed his battling qualities here to get the better of Marchilhac by a short- head in a thrilling finish.
Trainer Neil Mulholland said: “I had him in three handicaps at Cheltenham but I knew he had no chance.
“He was just a bit unexposed. But I’d trained him for this week and I know he’ll get in next year.”