Ben Clarke eyes Irish Grand National upset after The Galloping Bear digs deep to overcome Bristol De Mai in impressive victory at Haydock
- The Galloping bear dug deep to win gold at the Grand National Trial
- It was a seventh win of the season for Ben Clarke and his third on the bounce
- The 34-year now has his eyes set on a tilt at the Irish Grand National
Ben Clarke has his eye set on a tilt at the Irish Grand National with The Galloping Bear after the gelding gave him a massive pot in his first season as a trainer when winning the Grand National Trial at Haydock.
The Ben Jones-ridden 9-2 favourite dug deep in testing conditions and called on his stamina reserves to peg back brave top weight Bristol De Mai and then pull seven lengths clear.
It was a seventh win of the season for Clarke and his third on the bounce after he secured his first ever double at Sandown on Thursday.
Ben Clarke has his eye set on a tilt at the Irish Grand National with The Galloping Bear
The Galloping Bear was following up an equally tough performance when he defied top weight to win the Surrey National at Lingfield last month.
Clarke, 31, said: ‘I’m absolutely shell-shocked to be honest. I thought we had a good chance coming here but when you see Bristol De Mai – the Haydock legend – going so well, I’m stunned we won.
‘This horse was meant to win the Welsh National but he scoped dirty two days before! That was the plan and when we won a £30,000 race at Lingfield (Surrey National) I was a bit annoyed to be honest as we were meant to use his mark to win a big one!
‘We had talked about the Midlands National but that was an absolute war out there today. If you see him again this season it’ll be over the water in the Irish National.’
Clarke was formerly assistant to Anthony Honeyball and has a string of 15 horses at his base near Chard in Somerset.
He added: ‘We’ve had a licence since September and we had a double at Sandown on Thursday. I thought I’d used all my luck up ahead of today.
‘For a small yard to come and compete on days like this is just magic for us and to go and bag a big one is great.’
The Grade One Ascot Chase was won by Joseph O’Brien-trained Fakir D’Oudairies, who beat Two For Gold a length and three-quarters under Mark Walsh.
It was a third grade one win for the Joseph O’Brien-trained gelding but also an ominous portent of what might happen at the Cheltenham Festival given Fakir D’Oudairies has not got closer than eight lengths when taking on 2021 Ryanair Chase winner Allaho, who is hot favourite to retain his crown.
Other positive Cheltenham Festival clues were supplied by Henry Daly-trained Hillcrest, winner of the Grade Two Prestige Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock to see his odds for the 3m Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle halved to 6-1.
Bristol De Mai (R) was overhauled despite being the initial favourite for gold at the trial
Sam Thomas rode Denman to win the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup and he has a good contender as a trainer in Good Risk At All, who was a comfortable winner of the Dingley’s Promise Handicap Hurdle at Ascot.
The Coral Cup looks a more likely Festival destination than the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle for Good Risk At All, according to Thomas who completed an Ascot double having earlier won the opening novices’ hurdle with Skytastic.
Trainer Gary Moore won the Victor Ludorum Juvenile Hurdle at Haydock with Porticello but warned the gelding would only run in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham if the ground was soft.
Moore’s Goshen, winner of the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton for the second year running, will bypass Cheltenham with Moore now set on only racing the gelding on right-handed racecourse.
The Punchestown Festival, again if the ground is soft, is one of Goshen’s few remaining options this season.