Pic D'Orhy (4-1) grabbed a superb victory in the Marsh Chase on the second day of the 2023 Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse. And with it denied Joseph O'Brien's Fakir D'Oudairies (15-8 favourite) a record third straight victory in the Grade One feature, formerly known as the Melling Chase, on Ladies Day at Aintree.
The Paul Nicholls-trained eight-year-old bypassed last month’s Cheltenham Festival and it paid off as, under Harry Cobden, he produced a polished jumping display to beat D’Oudairies, who was the sixth horse to win the race in successive seasons last year – by four-and-a-quarter lengths. Donald McCain's front-running Minella Drama (14-1) was a further two-and-three-quarters-of-a-length back in third.
READ MORE: Full list of final 40 runners for the 2023 Grand National
Nicholls had had a disappointing day on Thursday with no winners and Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Bravesmangame having to pull out of the Aintree Bowl due to his ongoing ownership issues. But Pic D'Orhy – twice a winner at Grade Two level earlier in the season and second to Thursday's Aintree Bowl hero Shishkin in the Ascot Chase in February – won at the top level for the first time to put a smile back on his face.
Always going well behind the the pacesetting Minella Drama, Cobden's brought Pic D'Orhy through to lead after the second last. He quickly moved clear and scored comfortably.
Nicholls was delighted his Pic D'Orhy plan came off. He said: "What has happened with Bravemansgame might be a blessing in disguise. He had a hard race at Cheltenham so who knows, he'll be back next year. "This week has been quite hard, a few have disappointed, a few have run well but what we like is winning these Grade Ones with horses who have been aimed at them.
"He was trained for this race and it makes a big difference when you target them here. When you aim for Cheltenham, it is hard to get them back in that form again. I just thought he'd be better on the flatter track here. I'm not saying he'll never go to Cheltenham another day, but this was the race we wanted to win ever since he won the Peterborough Chase. We set out to go to the Silviniaco Conti Chase, Ascot and then this. This track suits him really well. He'll certainly get an entry for the King George."
Cobden will partner Gordon Elliott's 33-1 shot Coko Beach – a winner of the Grand National Trial at Punchestown in February. And he believes Pic D'Orhy's improved jumping was vital to the victory. He said: "I had a lovely run round. He galloped into the first but after that he jumped brilliantly and travelled well. We didn't get racing too early and after the second-last I asked him to go and win his race. I was going to the last on a really long stride, I don't normally ask for that off him so I gave him a flick to remind him and it worked. He's become a very good jumper but he didn't use to be, I got three really bad falls off him but he's learned. He has a low head carriage and eyes them up well."
On Fakir D'Oudairies, trainer Joseph O'Brien said: "I think he would have liked a stronger end-to-end gallop but he came home very well and I'm delighted with him. It's always frustrating when you don't win, but maybe he's ready to go a bit further now."
O'Brien had already had a winner at the meeting with Banbridge on the opening day and the former Derby-winning Flat jockey-turned trainer will saddle his first ever runners in the Grand National tomorrow.
Darasso and A Wave Of The Sea, both owned by JP McManus, will line-up in the Aintree showpiece. Darasso was second in the Galway Plate last summer and third in the Kerry National in September. He is a best-priced 80-1 with several bookmakers, while A Wave Of The Sea – who has mainly been campaigned over shorter distances – is another outsider at 100-1.
O'Brien, who won so many big Group One races when he a Flat jockey for his father Aidan O'Brien, said: "They will be my first runners in the National. They are both outsiders. But Darasso was place in the Kerry National and ran well (second) in the Galway Plate and he has been a superstar (for us) for the last few years. A Wave Of The Sea has been placed in a few Nationals. His best form is probably over a bit shorter but touch wood both are sound jumpers.
"There is hardly a bigger race in the world. It is special to be here and special to have runners in it. It will be my first runners, so I am looking forward to it."
