Aintree: Kennedy, Elliott pick up pair of Grade 1 victories
AINTREE, England – The Ladies Day promotion at the three-day Grand National meeting at Aintree Racecourse will be held on Friday.
On Thursday’s first day, a filly and a mare were the stars in two of the four Grade 1 races for hurdlers and chasers.
Brighterdaysahead, a 6-year-old mare, won the $331,000 Aintree Hurdle for the fifth Grade 1 win of her 16-race career. A few hours earlier, the filly Mange Tout won her Grade 1 debut in a $145,600 Juvenile Hurdle for 4-year-olds.
Both were ridden by Jack Kennedy for Irish-based trainer Gordon Elliott.
Brighterdaysahead won the Aintree Hurdle at 2 1/2 miles by 2 1/4 lengths over The New Lion, who made a critical jumping error two hurdles from the finish and was unable to recover. The New Lion held second.
Brighterdaysahead, second in the Grade 1 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on March 10, was the 13-8 favorite with British bookmakers and paid $4.60 in American pools.
Elliott said that Brighterdaysahead will be switched to steeplechases when the new jump racing season begins in earnest in the fall.
Mange Tout ($11.60) was always near the front and won by three-quarters of a length over Selma De Vary, the 9-5 favorite. Mange Tout, a filly by Born to Sea, has won 4 of 5 starts. She was deliberately held out of the Cheltenham festival last month in favor of a start at Aintree
The Aintree Hurdle was one of two featured races on Thursday’s program along with the Grade 1 Racing Welfare Bowl Chase.
Jango Baie, second in the Grade 1 Cheltenham Gold Cup steeplechase last month, was even better in the $331,000 Bowl Chase, winning by a deceptive 16 lengths.
Jango Baie held a narrow lead two fences from the finish when Impaire Et Passe fell, leaving Jango Baie clear on the lead. Impaire Et Passe and his rider, Paul Townend, were quickly on their feet as Jango Baie galloped to the finish.
The race had only five starters. The other three runners were too far behind to trouble Jango Baie in the final furlong.
Jango Baie, who paid $3.40 in American pools but had a final price of even-money with British bookmakers, won his biggest race of the current jump racing season in the $331,000 Bowl Chase at 3 1/8 miles.
A 7-year-old gelding, Jango Baie was ridden by Nico de Boinville for trainer Nicky Henderson. Jango Baie has won 6 of 13 starts over obstacles, including 4 of 8 steeplechases.
Koktail Divin ($7.60) won the richest race of his 12-race career in a Grade 1 novices’ chase at 2 1/2 miles. The task was easier than expected after 1-5 favorite Lulamba unseated de Boinville at the 10th of 16 fences.
Koktail Divin, a 6-year-old gelding ridden by Darrah O’Keeffe for trainer Henry De Bromhead, finished 2 1/4 lengths clear of 22-1 Blueking D’Oroux in a field of five.
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