Grade 3 handicap chase, £1 million total prize fund. Aintree, 5.15pm Saturday, April 6, 2019. 4m 2f 74y over the Grand National fences. For seven-year-olds and upwards who, prior to March 19 have started in a steeple chase during the current season and been placed first, second, third or fourth in a chase with an official distance description of two miles seven and a half furlongs' or more at any time during the horse's career, Horses must also be allotted a rating of 125 or more by the BHA Head of Handicapping following a review of the horses entered and after taking account of races run up to and including February 10. Horses who are not qualified for a rating in Great Britain or Ireland at closing may also be entered. Such horses may be eligible for a weight providing the Handicapper is satisfied that the horse's racecourse performances up to and including February 10 would merit a minimum rating of 125. To qualify, horses must have run at least three times in chases run under the Rules of Racing of the same Recognised Racing Authority up to and including February 10. At the Handicapper's discretion, such horses may be allocated a rating. The decision of the BHA Head of Handicapping shall be final. Entries closes January 29, entries revealed January 30 (112 entries - 2 not qualified), weights revealed February 12, first scratchings deadline February 26 (100 remained), second scratchings deadline March 19 (84 remained - 3 not-qualified, 2 subsequently scratched), five-day confirmations April 1 (69 confirmations, 1 subsequently scratched - Sandymount Duke), final declarations 10am April 4.g Maximum field of 40 plus four reserves.Weight Raised 4lb on Monday, April 1First rating given is at the weights' launch on February 12, followed by the current rating with the difference in brackets. Horses run off of the weights they were allotted on February 12, with no penalties.

A four-year-old horse who had run just once in a point-to-point was sold for a cool £440,000 at Goffs UK's Aintree Sale yesterday evening to trainer Jonjo O'Neill.

 

Papa Tango Charly was a hugely impressive winner of his sole start, suggesting he could have a big future as a hurdler or chaser. Countless stars have begun their careers in the point-to-point field, from such G1 Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup heroes as Best Mate and Denman, to more recent progressive youngsters who scored at the Cheltenham Festival last month. Envoi Allen, who won last month's G1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper, and Topofthegame, who landed the G1 RSA Chase and runs in today's G1 Betway Mildmay Novices' Chase, are but two examples.

 

County Wexford-based Colin Bowe, who trained Envoi Allen as a youngster, prepared Papa Tango Charly to win at Liscarrol recently, when his performance alerted County Tipperary-based Aiden Kennedy. Knowing O'Neill was looking for a top prospect he phoned the Gloucestershire trainer and O'Neill flew to Ireland to see the horse in his stable. Last night his £440,000 offer secured him on behalf of racehorse owner Martin Tedham, who owns a horse called Tedham, a runner in today's opening race at Aintree, the G3 Merseyrail Handicap Hurdle.

 

Papa Tango Charly's win was impressive, but the horses who filled the places behind him, Big Bresil and Meyer Lansky, were also highly valued when they came up for auction. Big made £170,000 to a bid from racehorse owner Roger Brookhouse, while Meyer Lansky made £110,000 when selling to agent Matt Coleman, who said Jonjo O'Neill would be the gelding's new trainer.

 

O'Neill's bid for Papa Tango Charly, a record for Goffs UK's Aintree Sale, helped propel turnover at the event to £3,198,000. Of the 28 horses offered, mostly young Irish pointers, 25 found a buyer at an average price of £127,920.

 

The sale had been given a compelling opening when two Randox Health Grand National runners - both trained by Gordon Elliott and owned by Gigginstown House Stud - were offered for sale. Don Poli was sold for £170,000 to Yorkshire trainer Philip Kirby, while bloodstock agent J D Moore gave £165,000 for Outlander. Kirby was acting for racehorse owner Darren Yates, whose hopes of running Blaklion in the big race were scuppered last week when the horse picked up an injury - now he has a high-class replacement - while Moore represented Rebel Racing, a syndicate headed by Phil Cunningham, who will stable his new buy with Newmarket trainer Richard Spencer.

Young Herefordshire-based bloodstock agent Ed Bailey made his biggest purchase to date when bidding £280,000 for Adrimel, a winner at Ballyarthur last month for trainer Josh Ryan, who paid just €11,000 for the gelding at a sale of unbroken 'store' horses in August. Bailey could not name his client, but said: "He's a lovely-moving horse and comes from a very shrewd stable."

 

Anthony Bromley bought The Glancing Queen from the Irish point-to-point circuit, and after watching her land yesterday afternoon's Goffs UK Nickel Coin Mares' Bumper at Aintree he stayed at the racecourse to buy It Sure Is, who made a winning start in a point-to-point at Ballynoe as recently as Sunday. Bromley of Highflyer Bloodstock, paid £150,000 for the gelding, then said: "I've bought him for Nicky Henderson, who described him as the nicest-looking horse in the sale. Colin Bowe [who trained It Sure Is] recommended the horse, and we've had good luck with Colin before. I bought Glancing Queen from him, and she won this afternoon's mares' bumper."

 

At the sale's conclusion, Goffs UK managing director Tony Williams said: "The Aintree Sale has firmly established itself as an elite outlet for high-class pointers and form horses. We are indebted to the Aintree executive for their enthusiastic partnership in this sale and to our vendors who sent us outstanding horses once again, creating an electric atmosphere in the ring."

                   

Yorkshire trainer Phil Kirby rode out at Aintree this morning on his newly-purchased Randox Health Grand National runner Don Poli.

 

Kirby attended yesterday evening's Goffs UK Aintree Sale, held in the winner's enclosure after racing, and it was his bid of £170,000 which secured 10-year-old Don Poli, one of two runners in the big race who were offered for sale by Gigginstown House Stud. The other, Outlander, was sold to Rebel Racing and will be trained in Newmarket by Richard Spencer.

 

After bringing down the hammer Kirby revealed he was acting for racehorse owner Darren Yates, who hoped to see his colours carried by Blaklion, a horse he purchased privately out of Nigel Twiston-Davies' stable earlier this year. A subsequent injury to Blaklion thwarted the plan, but Don Poli, a high-class chaser with a third place in the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup on his CV, is a fine alternative.

 

Kirby has the challenge of taking on a horse from the brilliant trainer Gordon Elliott, but after riding Don Poli in a simple leg stretching exercise, Kirby quipped: "I've just got him fit!

 

"Seriously, he's a lovely big, strong horse - we just had a hack around for a couple of circuits. He's a proper horse, and tomorrow will be the first time he will have raced on soft ground for quite a while.

"He's come from a great yard, but taking him back to Yorkshire for a change of scene can do him no harm. If it sparks him back up we should have some fun.

 

"We have decided to stick with the original jockey booking of Patrick Mullins. The new owner and I had a chat and we agreed there was no point changing things at this stage, and that Patrick knows the horse and was the best man for the job.

 

"This will be my first runner in the [Randox Health] Grand National and I cannot wait."