Two horses died in the Grand Nationale Écossais on Saturday, again putting an unwanted projector on the jump race.
In the week Allen Celebre is dead 48 hours after having run in the Grand National of Aintree, the victims of the Ayr marathon were Macdermott, who was arrested before halfway, and the Kniphand, who had disputed his head but had fell heavily to the last second.
Macdermott was the winner last year and trained by Willie Mullins, who won this race when Harry Cobden, an oasis of calm among chaos, guided the house of Captain 9-1. CODY.
Captain Cody beat teammate Klarc Kent with a length, which not only gave Mullins a 1-2 in the race a week later Sanding the first three in Aintree But led him to £ 25,000 from Dan Skelton in the title race of the British coaches.
The race was considerably more dramatic than Aintree is a week ago With only eight of the 23 runners finishing the route and several horses slaughtered in the well -wrapped field. Cobden avoided several derivation points and did not seem unduly worried that he was four lengths at the end, and that he was already withdrawn the winner before passing the finalist.
Skelton's best chance to withdraw a dividend from the race to support his advance – cost £ 177,000 after the first two races – went when Sail Away was brought back to the first, while his other runner, Snipe, was not much higher, falling before a circuit came out at the seventh fence.
“What a journey,” said Mullins de Cobden, who had only his second trip for the coach. “Was he the last or second time of the first?” I thought “Oh, Captain Cody went out with washing”, but four miles later, he was traveling strongly.
“My instructions in Harry were to put his best female voice because he only goes for Jody Townend (riding in Bellewstown) and whatever the voice he did, it worked. It put us back in the title race but there is still a long way to go.”
Bookmakers did not see him so pessimistic, making Mullins 1-8 to keep the title and Skelton 9-2.
Meanwhile, Newbury's Guineas trials launched some animated foreigners for Newmarket; The Jonquil formed at Balding by Andrew, who passed the too hot stud of Greenham Hot Greenham, and the duty of Pillica of Archie Watson first, which separated a large field assembled for the challenges of Dubai Duty Free.
Last year, Jonquil made such a good impression during his beginnings for Sir Michael Stout that he seemed to be the foal to send the coach to the top, but he exploded during his next departure and was put aside before being sent to Balding.
On Saturday, he still looked at control of the Greenham, duly filling his early promise to go home to 1½l ahead of Rashabar, winner of Coventry from last year and generally considered to be the reference in the race.
The winning jockey Oisin Murphy said: “Ryan (Moore) liked it last year. He is a very fast horse and if he gets a mile, it's going to be exciting. You saw a good horse there.”
Watson did a lot in a short time, but he has not yet won a classic. However, the duty first, a shot of 33-1, lacked a winner of 3¼ in length of the Dubai Duty Free in a faster period than the Greenham under Hollie Doyle to win a quote of 25-1 for the 1,000 Guinea. It will probably be completed for the Newmarket Classic on May 4.
