Clan Des Obeaux (13-2) held to land a second successive victory in the Betway Bowl Chase on the opening day of the 2022 Randox Grand National Festival
The Paul Nicholls-trained 10-year-old had been second to Kemboy in the Bowl in 2019 before winning the Grade One at last year's Grand National meeting at Aintree.
Clan Des Obeaux, under Harry Cobden, bounced back from finishing second as he bidded for a third victory in the King George VI Chase at Kempton over Christmas and lacklustre effort in the Denman Chase at Newbury in February to land another Grade One victory.
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Wearing the first time-blinkers, Clan Des Obeaux gave champion trainer Nicholls a boost in his bid for 13th title adding the £140,000 prize to his tally.
Willie Mullins' 2019 winner Kemboy had led but Clan Des Obeaux jumped to the front at the third-last. He went clear over the final flight but Gordon Elliott's Irish Gold Cup hero Conflated (9-2) tried to bridge the gap under Davy Russell. And as the leader began to tire on the run to the line Conflated closed in. But Clan Des Obeaux held on Conflated closed to within a length at the line.
A delighted Nicholls said: "You've to just keep changing things with the older horses, he didn't run quite as well as we thought he was going to do at Newbury but he was trained for today, not for Newbury and he's improved from then.
"We just tried to do something different with him, it's just sharpened him up so much. He was getting a bit idle, he's pricked his ears before the line there. When they get a bit older, he's 10, they know the routine, they get a bit lazy.
"I wasn't too despondent at Newbury, Harry was a little bit, but he always comes good in the spring. I'm delighted, things haven't gone as well as I'd have liked and I've been pulling my hair out since Christmas to be honest with you. To get him back looking like that is a team effort."
Clan Des Obeaux bypassed the Cheltenham Festival last month and he will now head to Punchestown, where he also won last year, following this win.
Nicholls added: "He'll definitely go to Punchestown now, that was always the plan. He's had some hard battles over the years, particularly at Punchestown, and you just wonder if they're going to show that form again. He loved it round there, he had a great ride, jumped brilliant - it was perfect.
"He was always going to hang on, he pricked his ears a little bit. Harry will be chuffed with that and that was a big boost for us. It's a help, winners like that, but there's still plenty to go and there's Sandown still. It'll make it (title) interesting, anyway!"
Trainer Alex Hales was celebrating a first success at the top level after Millers Bank (7-1) ran out a fine winner of the opener to the meeting, the Grade One SSS Super Alloys Manifesto Novices’ Chase (GBB Race) (1.45pm), with Pic D'Orhy (7-2).
Under jockey Kielan Woods, who was also having first triumph in a Grade One, the eight-year-old was always travelling and jumping well in rear as Rachael Blackmore made much of the running aboard Gin On Lime.
But Millers Bank, who was a close third in the Aintree Hurdle on this day 12 months ago, came through coming to the final two fences. And despite unseating on two chase starts at Newbury and Cheltenham, he was foot perfect this time.
Millers Bank had been beaten by Pic D'Orhy at Kempton, but that horse made a massive jumping error in back straight, while favourite Erne River had already fallen.
Millers Bank went past the two Colin Tizzard-trained runners, The Widow Maker and War Lord, to score by a massive 10 lengths from the latter.
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A delighted Hales said: "That was fun, wasn't it? It's quite emotional, it's wonderful really. It took a long time to get here, it's a massive team effort. Suddenly it gets you a bit, we've worked so hard for so long and to find a horse like this and do it here is wonderful.
"It's massive because this is a hard game. It's hard to compete at this level and to have winners anywhere. For small trainers like us, we're working really hard every day so it's brilliant to come here on the top stage and do it. Sally (wife) and I bred him as well, it's quite an incredible story.
"I'm just delighted for the team, Sally, Kielan and Harry. Kielan and Harry Bannister are two jockeys having fabulous years and I'm just so proud of everyone.
"We owned the mare and chose the stallion, we went to Passing Glance. We just believed in him and it's just fabulous. Last year, when he was third in the Grade One Aintree Hurdle, I knew 80-1 was a silly price. At Huntingdon first time out this year I thought he was brilliant and then, it's not supposed to be easy, this game, and the wheels came off a couple of times. We got back on track in the Pendil (at Kempton).
"If you'd have asked me a week ago, he'd have definitely won – but with every moment that passed I wasn't so sure! Kielan's very cool, isn't he? He's too cool sometimes for my nerves!
"He looked like he did it fairly well. We'll take it step by step. I know he's won well there (over two and a half miles), but he wouldn't mind going up in trip, either."
Woods, was also overjoyed his first Graded success, adding: "I've not even won a Grade Two so to win a Grade One is just unbelievable.
"Alex Hales bred the horse, there's not many trainers that have bred a horse and gone all the way from bumpers to winning a Grade One around Aintree. They're a top class team. I'm just so happy for Alex, he's supported me for a long, long time.
"It's brilliant to even be here, let alone riding a Grade One winner."
On hit two runners, War Lord and The Widdow, trainer Tizzard said: "War Lord ran his race. Sometimes he tanks, and I didn't think he was travelling as well as he can, but then he still had half a chance at the second-last. He could be a Haldon Gold Cup horse for next season.
"The Widdow would jump anything when he was out in the field. He's surprised us today. He couldn't get to the front as we hoped, but he's shown us that he can settle. He did that beautifully."
Milton Harris' Knight Salute (14-1) was handed victory in the stewards' room after initially dead-heated with 10-11 favourite Pied Piper in the Grade One Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle.
The Gordon Elliott-trained Pied Piper, who had been third to Vauban in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham last month, came through and lead coming to the final flight under Davy Russell. But Knight Salute, who had been 17 lengths adrift of Pied Piper at Prestbury Park last month, was close behind him under Paddy Brennan.
Pied Piper wasn't fluent over the final flight and veered to his left with Knight Salute being hampered slightly, which caused a stewards' inquiry after the pair couldn't be separated at the line following a photo-finish. Cheltenham Festival winner Brazil was 12 lengths back in third.
After a lengthy inquiry, in which even Brennan told the stewards the interference didn't affect the result, the race was still handed to Knight Salute.
Harris, who was winning a first Grade One, said: "He cost 14 grand and gives everyone a bit of optimism.
"Brennan is his own man and said thank you for sticking with him, and he didn't knock the horse about when his chance had gone in the Triumph.
"He could run anything down, this horse, but the juveniles are still 15lb below the Champion Hurdle horses.
"That's why we were going to take him for a race in America later in the year with a view to possibly selling him."
On winning after the inquiry, he added: "It doesn't sit well with me, it's not the way I like to play sport.
"But that's the rules, and if the rules say that - I just feel sorry for the second, I thought it was a good battle and it's a shame to see someone demoted."
Speaking before the stewards; decision, Elliott had said: "Davy didn't say much, he just said he hit the front too soon and if he had his time back he'd have taken his time more.
"He followed Mark (Walsh, on Brazil) as he thought he was the horse to beat. He went by him and then idled and pulled up in front. Davy is raging with himself, but that's horseracing.
"I'll take a dead-heat in a Grade One any day of the week. We've hit the crossbar a lot over the last two weeks.
"Both horses ran great races. Full credit to Milton Harris and his team – they've done a good job with their horse and our team did a great job with ours.
"A dead-heat is a fair result and I'm happy. This horse will go straight to (Royal) Ascot now."
