THE enigmatic Our Vic rolled back the years and added to David Pipe’s John Smith’s Grand National armoury at Haydock on Saturday.
The Pipe-trained 12-year-old – a multiple Graded race winner over the years – landed the Peter Marsh Chase by two and three quarters of a length from Palypso de Creek.
Our Vic provided an excellent display of jumping to give jockey Danny Cook with the biggest career success.
Cook took the wrong course on Our Vic at Cheltenham last month, but after a 28-day ban the duo were reunited with contrasting fortune.
The jockey said: “This is the biggest win of my career. I owed the horse and it’s great that he won. We’ve put Cheltenham behind us now and I’ve done my time.”
With trainer Pipe at Ascot to Mamlook land the Holloway Hurdle, owner David Johnson was left to mull over a possible Grand National bid for Our Vic.
The 2008 Aintree hero Comply Or Die is bound to be connections best hope. He is a 25-1 chance with most firms, while Our Vic is not quoted.
Owner David Johnson said: “We have got to think of the Grand National but we do have Comply Or Die for that race. He would be our number one and I am sure we can find Our Vic a three-mile handicap somewhere, if not the Grand National.”
Last year’s Grand National winner Mon Mome delighted trainer Venetia Williams with a staying-on fourth behind Our Vic.
The 10-year-old is also a 25-1 chance with most firms to retain his crown and will return to Haydock next month for the Merseyside track’s Gold Cup, before a return to Aintree.
Williams said: “I was very pleased with that, delighted. He just outpaced going to the last down the back. What happened today was what we expected. I hoped he’d run well. I had slightly lost my confidence, because most of ours were showing that the work they had missed was causing a problem. But he stayed on well. We will come back here for the (Haydock Park) Gold Cup all being well and then on to Aintree.”
On a top quality card at Haydock Diamond Harry was impressive on his debut over fences. An excellent display of jumping from the seven-year-old saw him the land the Grade Two Altcar Novices’ Chase at Haydock by 16 lengths from Knockara Beau. It may have been less had Bensalem not suffering a crashing fall three out.
But Nick Williams’ stable star looked like he would have had his measure and won as an 8-11 favourite under jockey Barry Geraghty.
The RSA Chase, for which Diamond Harry is a best-priced 8-1 with Ladbrokes, is the aim at the Cheltenham Festival.
Williams said: “It was very nerve wracking. He needed a jump three out but he really came up for Barry.
“I thought he rode a great race on him. Obviously it was a Grade Two and certainly not a Mickey Mouse race. The plan now will be go to Newbury in three weeks for a three-mile novice and then on to the RSA Chase.”
Donald McCain’s Peddlers Cross kept up his unbeaten record with a superb display in the sportingbet.com Novices’ Hurdle and is now heading to the Cheltenham Festival.
The five-year-old scored a 16-length over Scriptwriter in the Grade Two contest and connections are eyeing either the Neptune Management Investment Novices’ Hurdle over an extended two-and-a-half miles, or the two-mile Supreme Novices’.
McCain said: “He’s come out of the race fine. We thought he’d win and hoped he would, but over two miles in a small field we didn’t quite expect him to show that turn of foot.
“He’ll be entered in the two novice races at Cheltenham, the two miler and the two and a half.
“I would imagine it will be the longer one, the Neptune, that is the favourite at the moment, but there’s a lot that can happen between now and then and we are in no hurry to make a decision.
“We might get another race into him before the Festival, but there’s no great panic. He’s not a difficult horse to get ready.”
TODAY’S NAP: Mays Louise (5.40pm Wolverhampton)
