Racing

God’s Own wins win as Vautour takes a tumble

Shock on Merseyside as odds on favourite Vautour fell in the JLT Melling Chase

God’s Own ridden by jockey Paddy Brennan clears a fence on the way to winning the JLT Melling Chase during Ladies Day of the Crabbie’s Grand National Festival at Aintree. Photo: Mike Egerton/PA
God’s Own ridden by jockey Paddy Brennan clears a fence on the way to winning the JLT Melling Chase during Ladies Day of the Crabbie’s Grand National Festival at Aintree. Photo: Mike Egerton/PA
Chris Cook at Aintree
Fri Apr 08 2016 - 15:51

The Ladies’ Day crowd at the Grand National Festival witnessed a seismic shock in Friday’s big race when Vautour crashed out of the Melling Chase at about halfway, taking with him a small fortune in bets including a single reported stake of £80,000. The much-admired steeplechaser, a controversial winner of the ‘wrong’ race at the Cheltenham Festival, was supposed to be a good thing and was sent off at odds of 1-5 but clipped the top of the first fence in the back straight, the ninth overall, and found himself on the turf.

That left just five runners, none of whom had started at shorter than 15-2. In the end, it was the 10-1 shot God’s Own who powered home for a classy success over Al Ferof, the pair well clear of Clarcam, Somersby and Vibrato Valtat.

Victory aboard God’s Own continues an excellent week for the jockey Paddy Brennan, who had also won a Grade One on Thursday here aboard Cue Card.

Vautour and his jockey, Ruby Walsh, were both reported to be uninjured by their tumble. Their departure sealed a rough afternoon for punters, in stark contrast to the meeting's opening day, with the first race being won by a 33-1 shot and none of the first four races going to a favourite.

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Willie Mullins, Vautour’s trainer, who has dominated this jumps season, has also been kept out of the winner’s enclosure so far on Friday. Second and third places for his runners in the novice hurdle, Petit Mouchoir and Limini, was enough to move him into a narrow lead in the trainers’ title race, which has two weeks to go, but Paul Nicholls moved back past him thanks to the prize money won by Vibrato Valtat.

Somersby’s fourth-placed finish in the Melling Chase proved to be the final start of his 42-race career, as the 12-year-old’s retirement was announced immediately afterwards. Though just short of the highest class, he became hugely popular by his many appearances in the biggest two-mile races. His only Grade One win came in the Victor Chandler of 2012 but he often ran well in such races and was runner-up in the Champion Chase just last year.

(Guardian service)