Elliott and McConnell on the mark at Aintree
There was a great start to day two of the Grand National festival in Aintree today as Gordon Elliott and John McConnell saddled the first two winners on the card.
The Gordon Elliott-trained seven-year-old Gerri Colombe scored a dominant victory in the opening Air Charter Service Mildmay Novices’ Chase under Davy Russell.
Gerri Colombe came off second-best in a titanic tussle with The Real Whacker at Cheltenham last month, going down by a short head, and was a 4/6 shot to reward those who kept the faith in Liverpool.
And anyone who took the cramped odds will have had few concerns for the duration of the extended three-mile contest, with Elliott’s charge travelling as smooth as silk for much of the way and moving ominously into the slipstream of Galia Des Liteaux early in the home straight.
Once asked to go about his business, Gerri Colombe readily extended clear and Russell saluted the crowd as his mount passed the post with seven and a half lengths in hand over the Paul Nicholls-trained Complete Unknown.
It was a notable success for Russell, who called time on his glittering career in December only to return in the new year to fill in for the sidelined Jack Kennedy.
Russell endured a frustrating week at Cheltenham, standing himself down before he was due to take the ride on Elliott’s Conflated in the Gold Cup, but thrust himself back into the big-race spotlight aboard the exciting Gerri Colombe, who looks a Gold Cup horse in the making.
Elliott was delighted to gain compensation for the Gerri Colombe’s Cheltenham defeat.
“He’s a good horse. We were disappointed after Cheltenham. We felt he was the best horse in the race and that proved it today. He’s a horse to be excited about next year.”
In the second race on the card Stamullen handler John McConnell enjoyed success with Fennors cross scoring under Ben Harvey to take the William Hill Handicap Hurdle.
Eleventh of 14 runners in Cheltenham last month Fennors Cross (8/1) was two lengths clear of Buddy One with 15/2 favourite No Ordinary Joe back in seventh.
That was where the good fortune for local connections ended at Aintree with all attention now turning to tomorrow's Grand National where Gordon elliott's saddles six runners in the big race, Delta Work, with Keith Donoghue on board, Galvin (Davy Russell), Coko Beach (Harry Cobden), Fury Road (Jonjo O'Neill Jr), Escaria Ten (Adrian Heskin) and Dunboyne (Jack Tudor).
Other local trainers with runners in the race include Gavin Cromwell with Vanillier (Sean Flanagan), Jessica Harrington has Lifetime Ambition (Sean O'Keeffe), Tom Gibney has Velvet Elvis (Darragh O'Keeffe) and Noel Meade has Diol Ker (Kieren Buckley).