Croc pounces for Aintree honours
Jonjo O’Neill, Tony McCoy and owner JP McManus captured Aintree’s Bonusprint.com Digital Photo Prints Liverpool Echo EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle for a second consecutive year.
Twelve months ago it was the top-notch Wichita Lineman and while Crocodiles Rock will have his work cut out to reach the heights of his stablemate, there was little wrong with this seven-length success.
McCoy oozed confidence aboard the 4-9 favourite and just had to shake him up a bit on the run-in to defeat Laborec in style.
“He jumps and travels well,” said O’Neill. “He was a bit disappointing in the Cheltenham bumper (when sixth) – perhaps that’s as good as he is – but we couldn’t be more pleased.”
Crocodiles Rock was cut to 16-1 from 25s by Coral for the Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Howard Johnson's Tidal Bay got his chasing career off to a promising start with a 22-length victory in the Personalised Christmas Cards From Bonusprint.com Novices' Chase.
A Grade Two winner at the Merseyside track over timber, the mount of Denis O’Regan was buzzed up at the start and took a few liberties at his fences – but ultimately proved a cut above.
Turning out of the back straight he had all of his rivals cooked and his huge engine enabled him to cruise clear of Albertas Run down the home run.
Johnson said: “He gave my heart a scare a few times on his way round, but he has done it well and is a good horse with a high cruising speed.
“We could go either way now – two or three miles – and all he wants is an end-to-end gallop. He is buzzy and excitable, but he always has been since day one and he only made the mistakes as they were going too slow.
“When I bought him from Alistair Charlton he said I would win an Arkle with this horse, and I just laughed at him.
“But now I am thinking he was right, although Arcalis is a possible for that too. We will just take it day by day with him but I will look to find another novice race for him and he could then go to Cheltenham in January but he won’t have a hard season.”
Blue Square make the six-year-old an 8-1 chance for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase, while Coral go 10s and William Hill offer a quote of 12-1.
Coral also offer 20-1 for the Arkle.
Katchit continued his winning spree over timber with a gritty display in the Grade Two Personalised Calendars Bonusprint.com Limited Handicap Hurdle.
Alan King’s Triumph Hurdle hero faced just three rivals but needed to show his usual battling qualities to see off Degas Art by a length and three-quarters under Robert Thornton.
The even-money favourite has now won eight of his nine starts over hurdles and was trimmed into 5-1 from 6s for the Champion Hurdle with Ladbrokes. VC Bet cut his price from 7-1 to 5s for the same race.
King said: “I was trying to talk myself and my owners into the fact that we weren’t going to win, but that was a good performance.
“He will certainly improve from today and most of mine are coming on for the run. He will go to the 'Fighting Fifth’ now and that will determine his season. If he wins that he will go to Kempton at Christmas to chase the WBX bonus, but if he loses we will go to the Bula.
“I hope he will go the Champion Hurdle but he needs to prove against himself the older horses. He does have the right attributes to be a Champion Hurdle horse though.”
