Caldwell Potter (11-4 Jt Fav) followed up on last month’s success at the Cheltenham Festival with a first Grade One victory in the Huyton Asphalt Franny Blennerhassett Memorial Mildmay Novices’ at Aintree today, Ladies Day at the Randox Grand National Festival.
Partnered by champion jockey Harry Cobden and racing in the famous yellow silks of the late John Hales, the seven-year-old grey made virtually all for a length and a quarter success over Irish raider Jordans.
The winner who cost a then record 740,000 Euros is part-owned by former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson alongside Ged Mason, Lisa Hales, Peter Done and Paul Hogarth.
Winning trainer Paul Nicholls said: “I enjoyed that. He jumped brilliantly on ground that we were a bit worried about; I actually think he wants decent ground, the way he moves and he does everything. The headaches I’ve had with his feet in the past 10 days since Cheltenham have been a nightmare, just changing his shoes - it’s like someone getting a new pair of shoes and them not fitting them - we have to bed them in, and we’ve got on top of that now.
“He’s a super, super horse. He’s taken a huge step forward since Windsor; we soon worked two miles wasn’t his trip and actually Harry said he really doesn’t want heavy ground, contrary to what they all say. He floats and jumps, and jumping won the day for him there.
“We’ve got so much to come from him in the future. We could look at things like the Betfair Chase. He needs to go left-handed, probably. It’s fantastic for these guys, with John Hales up there who had the balls to buy him after they lost Hermes Allen and brought all his mates in - he’s a cheap horse now, isn’t he?
“He’s got everything - he’s tough, he’s genuine and stayed on all the way to the line. We haven’t gone further than two and a half before so it was unknown territory, but he’s the first one in that family - all his siblings have liked shorter distances, but everything suggested to us that he wanted that trip. I’m delighted that Harry stays in second in the David Power Jockeys’ Cup - he deserves that, and it’s a fantastic day.
“I can’t tell you what a different horse he is from that day at Windsor to now - it’s like two different horses. Spring weather, he’s got used to better ground, and he flows on it. Rome wasn’t built in a day and we’re learning about him all the time - it isn’t easy but we’ve got there. Huge respect to my head lad Clifford [Baker] - he’s spent a huge amount of time getting him right. The first hurdle today was trotting him up for the veterinary inspection, and he trotted up beautifully. Some days he feels his feet a little bit, but he was brilliant today."
Harry Cobden said: “He was brilliant the whole way. He travelled and travelled. He felt to me that he was feeling the effects of Cheltenham and he was on vapour jumping the third last, so it’s testament to the horse and how tough he is.
“He was trying his hardest at the second last, which is the ditch, and he was on a long stride. He only just got to the other side but then he was great going down to the last. He’s incredibly tough.
“It’s fantastic. It’s what we do it for. It’s just a desperate shame that John (Hales) isn’t here to see it, because without John and Ged Mason and Paul Hogarth and all the others involved we wouldn’t have him. I just feel extremely lucky to have had John and all the rest of the party support us, so thanks to them.”
As to the importance of the win to the Power Cup standings: “I was a bit quiet before I came out on this one because I knew I needed to get it right. They were big points. Nico (De Boinville) can still do it, but he’s got a tough task ahead of him.”
