Philip Hobbs and Johnson White’s eight-year-old grabs victory in the feature on Merseyside and is may have a crack at the Randox Grand National at Aintree in the spring
Philip Hobbs and Johnson White’s eight-year-old grabs victory in the feature on Merseyside and is may have a crack at the Randox Grand National at Aintree in the spring
Connections are dreaming of the Randox Grand National at Aintree Racecourse for Imperial Saint following his victory in the Sky Bet Peter Marsh Handicap Chase at Haydock Park on Saturday afternoon.
Richard Johnson never won the Peter Marsh Chase as a jockey at Haydock but the eight-year-old carried the silks of his racing syndicate to glory at the Merseyside track.
Having been back in from 16-1 to 7-2, the Philip Hobbs and Johnson White-trained eight-year-old came through late on, under 3lb claimer Callum Pritchard, to grab a neck success over the Donald McCain-trained Richmond Lake (11-2). The 10-3 favourite Konfusion was a further two lengths back in third, under Callum Bewley.
Cheltenham Festival scorer Myretown, trained by Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore, led for much of the race until a bad mistake three fences from home dented his hopes of victory. Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith’s Konfusion was then left in front but Imperial Saint was stalking that rival.
And having taken over the lead two fences from home Imperial Saint – who won three times at Aintree and was second at the Grand National meeting last season – held on from the late-finishing Richmond Lake, under Brian Hughes.
Now Imperial Saint may return to Aintree on April 11 for the Grand National. Joint trainer White said: “That’s a fantastic result, it’s a great team to be involved with, they are massively enthusiastic and they were the same when we won a maiden hurdle at Ludlow a few years ago! He had a entry in the Great Yorkshire Chase, but Dicky (Johnson) and I just thought the opposition and the track would suit him today, we chanced our luck and got away with it. Had it have been bottomless like it can be here, we might not have brought him, that might have brought his stamina into it but I just thought he might have more of a turn of foot than the others.
“Callum gave him a lovely ride and his 3lb proved vital. I’m delighted for Dicky, he was the syndicate’s first winner and some of them even own Myretown! We’ve just won the Peter Marsh so I’m not going to say we’ve reached our pinnacle but I think there’s still improvement to come. We’ll look at Aintree and I’m sure he’ll get an entry in the National.”
Former champion jockey Johnson added: “I don’t think I rode the winner of this but I might have been at Ascot a fair few times. He’s been an amazing horse, he was the first we bought for the syndicate with Party Vibes and our first winner. We bought him as a fun horse, he’s certainly been that!
“He’s given the syndicate so much fun and he’s been perfect, he’s not that worried about ground, they’ve been to Cheltenham and Aintree and just about the only stipulation is he needs to go left-handed. Hopefully the handicapper won’t go too mad. I’m sure he’ll have an entry for the National but it’s whether he’ll get in. It’s definitely an option. I don’t think the owners would take much persuading, put it that way!”
Joint trainer Parkinson said of third-home Konfusion, who is entered in the Cheltenham Gold Cup: “We were very pleased. It was a good run and I think the ground has just done us in the end. Saying that I think everything else in the race would want softer ground so we can’t complain. It was a solid run. We’ll check he’s all right in the morning then have a sit down and talk about future plans.”
On eventual fourth Myretown, assistant trainer Peter Scudamore said: “Your worry at Cheltenham was – was it a fluke? Then he fell at Newbury, but he’s shown he’s a good horse again. The mistake must have cost him a length and I just wish I could find a horse that doesn’t have any faults!
“He lives on the edge and made that mistake. That’s life. We entered him in the Gold Cup and boosted him up a bit. Had he won today I’d probably have gone for the Gold Cup, but I probably think the Ultima now. Whether we run before then or not I don’t know. Derek (Fox) said Aintree afterwards, he said he could have gone around again. He’ll have an entry in the National.”
