LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Pic D’Orhy held off Fakir D’oudairies to win the Marsh Chase on Friday, handing trainer Paul Nicholls his first winner of this year’s Grand National meeting at Aintree.
With Harry Cobden aboard, Pic D’Orhy moved to the front between the final two obstacles and soon put daylight between himself and his rivals.
Fakir D’oudairies was looking for a third straight victory in the two-and-a-half-mile contest and briefly challenged approaching the last fence, but Pic D’Orhy was unfazed and crossed the line with a winning margin of four and a quarter lengths.
Cobden credited Pic D’Orhy’s improved jumping.
“I had a lovely run round. He galloped into the first but after that he jumped brilliantly and traveled well,” he said. “We didn’t get racing too early and after the second-last I asked him to go and win his race. I was going to the last on a really long stride, I don’t normally ask for that off him so I gave him a flick to remind him and it worked.
“He’s become a very good jumper but he didn’t use to be. I got three really bad falls off him but he’s learned.”
Earlier, Rachael Blackmore steered Inthepocket to victory in the Top Novices’ Hurdle.
In the Topham Chase, the first chance this year for professional jockeys to see the Grand National fences before Saturday’s main event, Sam Twiston-Davies claimed victory on 20-1 chance Bill Baxter.
Fennor Cross also won earlier in the William Hill Handicap Hurdle. The Mirror newspaper reported that owner Andrew O’Brien had bought the horse for just 1,400 euros ($1,500) on a website for used cars.
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