Cheltenham Festival: Aramax lifts Boodles Juvenile Hurdle and gives JP McManus fifth winner of week
Wednesday 11 March 2020 18:20, UK
Aramax gave JP McManus a fourth winner on Champion Chase day and a fifth of the week when claiming the Boodles Juvenile Hurdle under Mark Walsh.
The 15/2 shot, giving trainer Gordon Elliott a Wednesday double, got to the front on the home turn of what had turned into a messy race.
He suddenly appeared on the scene travelling very powerfully running down to the second-last flight - but had to be tough at the finish, as David Pipe's Night Edition was produced with a timely run by Tom Scudamore.
However it was Aramax who found more in the closing stages to go on and win by a length from the 16/1 runner-up.
Saint D'Oroux just snatched third place on the line at 14/1 ahead of Recent Revelations - another of Elliott's runners - who returned the same price.
McManus had earlier tasted victory with Champ, Dame De Compagnie and Easysland but also had the disappointment of odds-on Champion Chase favourite Defi Du Seuil trailing home fourth of the five runners.
The owner's famous green and gold silks were also victorious in Tuesday's Champion Hurdle with Epatante, meaning five winners on the week before the halfway stage of the festival.
Elliott said: "I was very happy, Mark had a lovely bit of room the whole way and he jumped and did everything right. I was worried about the ground, but it is nice to win the race.
"This is a nice horse, that is going forward and the right way. We thought it was the right race to go for. He just does what he has to do, but we are very happy as he has won the race."
