Uttoxeter Saturday

THE Boulton Group Midlands Grand National was the only graded action of the Saturday following the Cheltenham Festival, so there was a typical after-the-lord-mayor’s-show feel about the weekend’s action.

The theme of Friday carried on with Irish trainers dominating. Screaming Colours (Bill Durkan/Conor Orr) took the honours by 10 lengths from Young Dev (Denis Hogan/Mark McDonagh), with 2021 winner Time To Get Up (Jonjo O’Neill/Jonjo Jr) third, a further two lengths away.

Memories

The winner, a 12/1 chance, was having just his second run since finishing fourth in the corresponding race 12 months ago, and the win brought back some very old memories, with the Durkan family silks having been carried to success by that remarkable mare Anaglogs Daughter in the Arkle at Cheltenham back in 1980.

Things have changed a little since then, and those with long memories will recall that Anaglogs Daughter wasn’t allowed to rest on her laurels, turning out again just four days after her big win to take the Aynsley China Chase at Chepstow under Ferdy Murphy, on what was the seven-year-old’s 87th career outing! They really don’t make them like that any more.

Screaming Colours was supervised at Uttoxeter by Durkan’s son Neil, and assistant trainer Gary Bannon and was providing Conor Orr – third on Colonel Mustard in the County Hurdle the previous day – with the biggest win of his career.

Mark McDonagh had taken the final race of the Cheltenham Festival aboard Joseph O’Brien’s Banbridge, giving further proof – as if any were needed – that there is no end to the supply of talented horsemen in the Old Country.

Blinder

“We were just hoping for some sort of ease in the ground as it makes it a lot easier for Screaming Colours.” said the winning rider.

“He’s not the quickest horse in the world but he ran a blinder last year, and we were coming here confident.

“Everything went very smoothly - it’s nice to ride any winner but these big winners are what we do it all for.

“He’s a real old-fashioned National Hunt horse; he does nothing quick but just keeps galloping. He has a big heart and wants to go and do it for you.”