Photo Credit: Grossick Photography/The Jockey Club

 

Conditional jockey Beau Morgan thanked weighing-room great Barry Geraghty for some wise words after surviving stewards’ inquiry before celebrating the biggest victory of his career on £100 bargain buy Twig in the William Hill Half A Mill Becher Handicap Chase at Aintree today.

In one of the most dramatic renewals of the three and a quarter mile test the admirable 10-year-old gained his big moment centre stage when getting the better of a titanic tussle with 9-2 favourite Mr Vango.

 Having finished 10th in the Randox Grand National back in April the gelded son of Sulamani was sent off an 18-1 chance to make his return over the iconic fences a winning one and follow up his last time out victory at Sandown Park.

 For much of the race it was all about Grand Sefton fourth, Mahons Glory, who blazed a trail out in front under Lee Edwards, with his lead over the third last still standing over 10 lengths leaving those in behind still with plenty of work to do.

 However, his petrol tank was soon running on empty as the field closed ranks at the second last, at which point the race completely changed complexion, including the eventual winner. 

 It wasn't until the field jumped the last that Twig pressed on into the lead, but no sooner had he secured pole position he was quickly chased down by Mr Vango, who emerged as his final challenger.

 Momentum looked to be going the way of Mr Vango as Twig appeared to be running up and down on the spot inside the final furlong, however he rallied to the cause and with one late lunge got back up to prevail by a short-head.

And while Morgan’s immediate celebrations on the track had to be put on hold, they were soon in full flow after the stewards’ inquiry announced that the placings were to remain unaltered.

Morgan said: “That was a nerve-racking twenty minutes. My head was down, and I didn’t have a clue. I just sat there with my fingers crossed hoping for the best.

"Normally those photo finishes don’t come in for me but thank God the one time it mattered, it did.

“Every time this horse wins there is always a stewards’ inquiry. He is one of those horses that if you hit the front too soon, he will slam on the brakes.

“We chased down the horse that had a nice lead and we probably got there a bit too soon, but it worked out well for us.

“We were always waiting for that horse to come upsides us and give us a bit of challenge up the run-in. Thank God he dug deep today, and I owe everything to him.

“The tempo of the race didn’t really help my lad and the ground was probably not ideal for him. He didn’t travel as good as he normally does, but it worked out brilliantly.

“Luckily, I had some help before going into the stewards’ inquiry as Barry Geraghty gave me some help. I was pretty confident with what I said and I was happy enough leaving there and I was just delighted the result was okay.”

And there was no one more delighted at the Merseyside track following the success of Twig than Morgan’s dad Arron.

He added: “The last three wins he has had a stewards’ inquiry, but this was the hardest one. It is amazing and I’m so proud of the boys. Luca has been helping to train him and Beau rides it, what more could you want.

“The poor wife (Georgia, the owner of Twig) is sat at home with a broken leg and she is absolutely devastated she can’t be here. She is at home, but she is loving it and she is ecstatic the same as all of us.

“I turned away thinking is this true, and I couldn’t believe it. To see Beau come across the line was emotional. It is a brilliant day and a dream come true.”

As for triumphant trainer Pauling, who was celebrating his second success on the day, he admitted to being relieved for Morgan, and Twig, who he described as a ‘hero’ of a horse.

Pauling said: “He has been an absolute hero of a horse for Beau, and the Morgans as well.

“He has run a blinder, and Beau has given him a lovely ride. He has jumped for fun and got lonely in front.

“He was a horse that literally couldn’t get out of his own way for some lovely owners of mine called the Strangmans. He ran in two races and just got lapped.

"We said we haven’t got that much time, or money to throw at it, and I said Beau Morgan is about to start point-to-pointing, so I said what about him as a pointer, so they sold him for one hundred pounds. They wanted the Morgan family to be responsible for the horse going forward.

“It is a huge relief and I’m just thrilled for Beau and the horse. It was a very close run and Sara’s horse has run phenomenally well, but we are relieved."

However, while the win now puts Twig in line for an exciting new £500,000 bonus thanks to the new William Hill Half A Mill bonus awarded to any horse that can win a designated trial race, of which the Becher is one, and the Grand National in the same season, Pauling admits he might have other plans.

Pauling added: “He didn’t get involved in the National before as he just plugged on and ran well. You can’t run like that in a Grand National these days.

“We will see. He would go up enough to get in, but I was thinking about the Veterans’ Final at Sandown Park, but we will see.”

While it was not to be for Sara Bradstock, and Mr Vango, she insisted she was still proud of the effort and is confident there are further big days to be had with the nine-year-old.

Bradstock said: “I couldn’t be more delighted with him. It was very close, but the horse is a stayer and that is too short for him on ground that is riding too nice.

“He loved the fences. He is quite bright as he worked out quite quickly that he didn’t have to jump them too big. The same owner had Step Back, but he was like twinkle toes as he didn’t want to touch a twig.

“He is amazing. We got him for thirty thousand pounds as he had a great reputation of being a big old slow old horse, but he is a big slow old horse with an engine and an attitude.

“Give us another furlong and we win it. He is a real old hero.

“We wouldn’t come back here on anything that isn’t softer than good to soft as otherwise they go too fast for him. This ground over four and a bit miles you think he would have a shout and if you got Red Marauder ground then no one would get near him.

“He is such a big horse you can’t make definite plans as sometimes it takes him a long time to get over a race and sometimes it doesn’t.

“The Welsh Grand National is in my mind, the Classic Chase probably won’t go heavy enough. He loves the ground at Haydock Park so the Grand National Trial is a possibility.

“He has got some big races in him as he is a proper old hero.”