Betway Aintree Hurdle (Grade 1)

MEMORIES of Asian Maze back in the day as Abacadabras (Denise Foster/Jack Kennedy) bounced back from an early fall in the Champion Hurdle to run out an impressive winner of the Aintree Hurdle, with both Cheltenham failures proving costly for yours truly.

Abacadabras took advantage of circumstances to win by one and a quarter lengths and two and a quarter lengths from Buzz (Nicky Henderson/James Bowen) and Millers Bank (Alex Hales/Kielan Woods).

The winner has always been a smooth traveller, but his critics will point to his resolution, or lack thereof, in the closing stages as a problem, and he has lost races through idling or drifting off a true line.

On this occasion, the outcome of the race was partially forged in an incident when leader Jason The Militant baulked and jumped right at the sixth, the combined manoeuvre enough to see Rachael Blackmore unbalanced, and she found gravity winning as the pair landed.

The loose horse then carried on in wayward fashion, interfering first – and most seriously – with Buveur D’Air and then with Buzz, while having an ‘empty’ to follow over the last may have helped Abacadabras keep on as well as he did, with a last-flight blunder incidental in the grand scheme of things.

It would be dangerous to assume the son of Davidoff has turned over a new leaf, but he proved his stamina for the trip, and showcased what he can do when things fall his way. He’s very charismatic, but your mother wouldn’t like him, and perhaps that’s the key to his bad-boy appeal.

THE Foxhunters’ Chase, named in honour of the late Aintree chairperson, Rose Paterson, was won in exciting style by Joe O’Shea’s 66/1 shot Cousin Pascal, who was given a brilliant ride round the inside by James King, who was gaining his second win in the race.

The jockey made all the difference there, and that was also the case in the Red Run, where Josh Moore made all at a searching pace on his father Gary’s Editeur Du Gite, the gelding getting tired late, but doing enough damage to his rivals via the searching gallop to ensure that they couldn’t quite reel him in.

Rachael Blackmore might have had a day – or over a fortnight – to forget over jumps, but she will have been absolutely delighted to have won the Grade 2 mares’ bumper on Me Too Please, owned by Mary Moore, trained by her husband Arthur, and bought at Tattersalls for just 15,000gns by their son J.D. despite being out of a half-sister to an Oaks winner.