Il Etait Temps (3/1) became the 15th winner in the UK this year for Ireland’s champion Jump trainer Willie Mullins when he handed the master of Closutton a first success in the Grade One Close Brothers Manifesto Novices’ Chase, the opening contest of the 2024 Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree.

Having finished a staying-on third to stablemate Gaelic Warrior in the two-mile Grade One My Pension Expert Arkle Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham last month, the six-year-old grey benefited from a patient Paul Townend ride as he came home nine lengths to the good over Ginny’s Destiny in today’s two and a half mile miles contest.

Willie Mullins, who currently sits third in the table as he chases a first UK Jump trainers’ championship, said: “That was nice. I loved the manner in which he did it. I was really taken with how he walked round the parade ring before the race - I haven’t seen him as loose for a while, and I thought if he could run like he walked, he’d run a big race. And then when he jumped off at the start, I think for the first three-quarters of a circuit, I was very worried. He just seemed very behind himself, and I don’t think he’ll need his hood in future. But he warmed to his task, jumped well later in the race and he just kept galloping. Jukebox Jury is a right sire and we’ll be using more of him."

Improving with age

“I think probably trip is more important than track to him. He did win over two miles, but this performance today over two and a half is fantastic. At this end of the season horses are tired and he took a bit of time to warm into it, but I'm happy that he’s going to improve for further a trip as he gets older. He’s a fine horse, probably only 16.1hh if that - the normal sort for today is a big 16.3hh chaser - and the important thing about him is that he turns up for everything. He’s made of iron - there’s never an issue with him, and that counts for a great deal.

“Every little helps [towards the trainers’ title], but they [Skelton and Nicholls] will be hoping they can just keep ahead and then that we don’t win the National. A lot of our thing depends on how we do in the National. If we don’t do that, it will be very, very tough.”

Successful jockey Paul Townend said: “The pace was strong enough, I thought, for the ground. It’s hard work out there. Early on we were struggling - for a horse that ran in the Arkle, stepping up in trip, I thought I would be sitting second, no bother, but he warmed up to it. A lot fell in his favour today. He’s a good horse, just hasn’t been getting the best rub of it.

“I was hoping that when I got him competitive, he’d come alive, and he did. Once we were in a challenging position, we were able to hang on to it.”

Big things on the horizon

Paul Nicholls, trainer of runner-up Ginny’s Destiny (4/1), said: “He ran really well. I’ve said all along that there is nothing between Ginny’s Destiny and Grey Dawning. They have both run their races. I don’t know what we will do next season, but Harry (Cobden) said there is a really big race in him.

“Considering he had a hard race at Cheltenham he has bounced back and looked good. Harry Skelton said it was probably a case of tired legs in the pair of them (Ginny’s Destiny and Grey Dawning). They have run really good races. He would get three miles, but he will be running in all the top races. He has gone from running in handicaps to running in two Grade Ones. Dan’s (Skelton) horse might get a Gold Cup trip, but I’m not convinced about him at the moment as he has got plenty of boot. They have both run really well.”

Dan Skelton, trainer of the third Grey Dawning (11/10 Favourite), said: “I’m very proud of the horse as he kept galloping all the way. Obviously Cheltenham knocked the gloss off, but you don’t make racehorses leaving them in their stables when they are ready to run, and he was ready to run.

“He ran very creditably. It is disappointing to get beat, but that makes no difference to me next season. I’m glad I ran him over two and a half miles as he would have only ran the same race over three miles one and had a harder race. I will start him over two and a half miles next season then go back up to three miles.”