Sunday racing review:Hello Bud was a gallant winner for the father and son team of Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies in an eventful race for the totesport.com Becher Handicap Chase at Aintree.
Hello Bud, the 15-2 favourite, made the bulk of the running in the hands of his 18-year-old rider, who was successful last weekend in the Paddy Power Gold Cup on his father’s Little Josh.
He was headed briefly by Ballyvesey three out but that one could not keep up the gallop and Hello Bud went on again.
The race was far from over though, as Brian Hughes brought Royal Rosa with what looked a perfectly-timed run.
Hello Bud found more on the long run to the line and won by a length and a quarter from Royal Rosa with One Cool Cookie 10 lengths away third and Ballyvesey fourth.
Top-weight Notre Pere was fifth, the winner’s stablemate Irish Raptor was sixth and Au Courant last of the seven finishers.
Paddy Mangan took a heavy fall from Whatuthink at the first fence. The obstacle was bypassed on the second circuit while the 7lb claiming Irish rider received treatment before being taken to hospital.
Brian Hughes gave Frankie Figg a tremendous front-running ride to land the totepool Grand Sefton Handicap Chase over two miles, five furlongs of the National course.
The Howard Johnson-trained eight-year-old (10-1) jumped well throughout and had more than enough in reserve to hold off Nikola and Private Be on the run-in to pass the post with five lengths to spare.
There was a sad postscript to the race as Private Be sadly collapsed and died after leaving the unsaddling enclosure.
Trainer Neil Mulholland’s good run continued when Midnight Opera ran out a game winner of the toteplacepot Maiden Hurdle at Aintree.
Conditional jockey Mark Quinlan sent the 12-1 shot to the front at the second last flight and kept him going well on the run-in to hold the challenges of Brother Bob and Yes Tom by half a length and the same.
The Paul Nicholls-trained odds-on chance Current Event never really threatened and finished only sixth.
Jack The Bus (9-1) outpointed Glenquest in a hard-fought finish to the Ladbrokes.com Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan.
Alan Crowe brought Peter Casey’s gelding on to the scene at the second-last but the always-prominent Glenquest made him fight every inch of the way.
There was little between them over the last two fences but Jack The Bus proved the stronger to win by three-quarters of a length, with Lochan Lacha third and Siegemaster fourth.
Fully Funded put up a game front-running performance to take the Friends of Navan ‘Monksfield’ Novice Hurdle at the Co Meath track.
Noel Meade’s five-year-old looked like having to settle for second when Ballyburke ranged alongside at the second-last.
However, he could find no more and Fully Funded (6-1) found extra for Davy Condon to pull away and stay on for a four-and-a-half-length victory. Gift Of Dgab made good late progress to push Ballyburke into third spot.