RANDOX GRAND NATIONAL FESTIVAL NEWS: IMPAIRE ET PASSE SURVIVES STEWARDS’ ENQUIRY TO TAKE GRADE ONE WILLIAM HILL AINTREE HURDLE
Thursday 11th April
Trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend brought up a 7-1 Opening Day Grade One double at the Randox Grand National Festival when Impaire Et Passe (Evens Favourite) landed the William Hill Aintree Hurdle.
The Evens Favourite prevailed by a nose from Bob Olinger (9-4) with Langer Dan (18-1) another short head back in third.
A stewards’ enquiry was held to look at possible interference at the finish but the placings remained unaltered.
Willie Mullins said: “When I looked at all of the different angles I thought the overhead angle looked very good. It was very revealing and that gave us a great chance. When Paul (Townend) went past Harry (Skelton on Langer Dan) after the last hurdle there was never any interference there, and I thought it was going to be very hard to disqualify us at that stage. There were pluses and minuses, but on the balance of it I thought it was a hard result to change.
“Paul thought he was idling in front, and I think that was a legitimate excuse as well, but it will be interesting to hear how it went with the stewards’. To get him back in a Grade One, and a race of this magnitude, was fantastic after his last two runs. I have to say one thing watching the race I thought Rachael (Blackmore on Bob Olinger) gave the ride of the race. Her riding was fantastic, but she just didn’t get there.
“He is in at Punchestown, but we will think about France. We will have to see how he comes out of that race.”
Henry de Bromhead, trainer of runner-up Bob Olinger, said: “He’s run brilliantly all season. It’s just a shame not to win, but there we go. A couple of people said we’d won, but sadly we hadn’t. And you always hope you’ll get it [in the stewards’ room], but c’est la vie.”
