Racecards
15:20 Aintree
Betfred Grand Sefton Handicap Chase (Class 2)
- 13 Runners
- Distance: 2m 5f 19y
- Going: Soft
- Surface: Turf
- £70,000 added
- Winner: £43,330
- 2nd: £12,866
- 3rd: £6,433
- 4th: £3,206
- Form 2P10P-2
- Age 9
- Weight 11-12
- Official Rating 160
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Nick Scholfield
prominent, hampered and lost place 9th, behind when mistake and hampered 12th (canal turn), soon pulled up
- Form UR60-24
- Age 9
- Weight 11-5
- Official Rating 153
- Trainer N & W Twiston-Davies
- Jockey Ryan Hatch
tracked leaders, lost place 5th, well beaten from 10th (becher\\\'s brook), plugged on from last, went 5th close home, no chance
- Form 54FP25
- Age 7
- Weight 10-13
- Official Rating 147
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey P J Brennan
held up in rear, mistake 11th (foinavon), headway after 13th, mistake 15th, went 4th after 2 out, no impression, weakened from 2 out, went 4th after elbow
- Form 212-P24
- Age 8
- Weight 10-12
- Official Rating 146
tracked leaders, lost place before 5th, mistake 8th, headway 10th (becher\\\'s brook), outpaced 13th, went 2nd soon after last, stayed on, no impression on winner
- Form 16P8P6
- Age 10
- Weight 10-10
- Official Rating 144
- Trainer D Pipe
- Jockey T Scudamore
mid-division, headway before 5th, mistake 9th, outpaced 13th, weakened before 15th
- Form 336250
- Age 10
- Weight 10-9
- Official Rating 143
- Trainer Micky Hammond
- Jockey Wayne Hutchinson
held up in rear, headway 9th, outpaced 13th, weakened before 2 out
- Form 4603P8
- Age 7
- Weight 10-6
- Official Rating 140
- Trainer M S Sandra Hughes
- Jockey B J Cooper
held up in mid-division, mistake 11th (foinavon), struggling in 9th when mistake and unseated rider next (canal turn)
- Form P67280
- Age 9
- Weight 10-6
- Official Rating 140
- Trainer F O'Brien
- Jockey Alain Cawley
towards rear, behind 10th, mistake and unseated rider 12th (canal turn)
- Form 342UPP
- Age 9
- Weight 10-4
- Official Rating 138
- Trainer Miss V Williams
- Jockey L Treadwell
tracked leaders, challenged 3rd, led before 5th, headed before 12th (canal turn), led again before 2 out, clear last, stayed on
- Form 155325
- Age 8
- Weight 10-3
- Official Rating 137
- Trainer D McCain Jnr
- Jockey Brian Harding
mid-division, towards rear when blundered and unseated rider 6th
- Form 445-755
- Age 10
- Weight 10-0
- Official Rating 131
- Trainer J Parkinson & S Smith
- Jockey Sean Quinlan
tracked leaders, mistake 3rd (canal turn), fell 9th
- Form 1PF581
- Age 9
- Weight 10-0
- Official Rating 129
- Trainer R Drake
- Jockey Jonathan England
prominent, lost place before 2nd, headway 9th, outpaced 13th, stayed on from 2 out, went 3rd approaching elbow, no impression on winner
- Form 243123
- Age 7
- Weight 10-0
- Official Rating 125
- Trainer Dr R D P Newland
- Jockey W T Kennedy
led until before 5th, with leader, led again 12th (canal turn), mistake 13th (valentines), pecked slightly 15th, headed before 2 out, no impression on winner last, weakened flat, finished tired
Previous results
In depth
Verdict
Rocky Creek has run in two Grand Nationals and has a touch of class but this looks too short for the recent Down Royal second. Just as interesting is stablemate Fago, though he fell in the Topham here in 2014 in which BENNYS MIST finished second and Double Ross fifth. It's possible a return to familiar surroundings will spark a revival in Venetia Williams' gelding, who is back on the same mark, and he gets a tentative vote. Poole Master was well beaten in that race but won this last year and looks to have been primed for a repeat while Mwaleshi will enjoy the going. But the ground may have turned against Art Of Logistics and Seventh Sky will do well to get involved given he's had jumping problems in the past.
Formwatch
Rocky Creek (IRE) 7-1fav (11-10) Raced in 2nd, led from 3rd, soon 2nd again, under pressure from 14th, no impression from after 3 out, kept on same pace, just prevailed for 2nd, 2nd of 4, 8l behind Don Cossack (11-10) at Down Royal 3m Yielding in Oct.
Double Ross (IRE) 16-1 (11-6) Tracked leaders, challenged 3 out, soon led, not fluent and headed 2 out, stayed on same pace flat, 4th of 20, 4 1/2l behind Annacotty (11-0) at Cheltenham 2m 4f hcp (1) gs in Nov.
Fago (FR) 11-2 (11-10) Held up in 8th place, headway approaching 8th, soon chasing leaders, weakened 2 out, 5th of 9, 7 1/2l behind Dresden (11-6) at Ascot 2m 1f hcp (2) gs in Nov.
Seventh Sky (GER) 50-1 (11-5) Off the pace in 4th, left behind from 10th, plugged on run-in but never any chance, 4th of 5, 34 3/4l behind Vautour (11-6) at Ascot 2m 5f (1) gs in Nov.
Poole Master 33-1 (11-12) Led, headed before 12th, blundered 5 out, outpaced from next, 6th of 10, dist behind Vieux Lion Rouge (11-6) at Haydock 3m hcp (2) sft in Nov.
Rathlin 25-1 (10-10) Soon tracked leaders, weakened from before 2 out, tailed off, 15th of 22, dist behind Shanahan's Turn (10-10) at Galway 2m 7f hcp gd in Jul.
Art Of Logistics (IRE) 50-1 (10-13) Prominent when slight mistake 1st, chased leaders, 8th at 9th, no impression before straight, soon no extra, 8th of 16, dist behind Sadler's Risk (11-6) at Limerick 3m hcp Yielding in Oct.
Silver Roque (FR) 25-1 (11-11) Mid-division, lost place 8th, behind from 4 out, 11th of 15, 27l behind Keel Haul (10-9) at Cheltenham 2m hcp (2) gs in Nov.
Bennys Mist (IRE) 33-1 (10-7) Mid-division, behind when slow 12th, pulled up before 4 out, at Cheltenham 2m 4f hcp (1) gs in Nov.
Witness In Court (IRE) 10-1 (11-12) Tracked leader, blundered 8th, ridden and weakened 2 out, 5th of 6, 22 1/4l behind Lost Legend (11-11) at Bangor 2m 4f hcp (3) gd in Oct.
Mwaleshi 9-2fav (11-12) Prominent, ridden 10th, outpaced after 4 out, tailed off, 5th of 8, dist behind Village Vic (11-6) at Musselburgh 2m 4f hcp (3) gd in Nov.
Distime (IRE) 8-1 (11-0) Made all, kept on well from last, won at Sedgefield 2m 3f hcp (3) gs in Nov beating Grate Fella (11-7) by 3 1/4l, 8 ran.
Top Cat Henry (IRE) 3-1fav (11-10) Held up, headway 15th, pecked 3 out, soon ridden, one pace last, no extra flat, 3rd of 14, 14 1/2l behind Regal Flow (11-5) at Cheltenham 3m 1f hcp (3) gd in Oct.