Hughes eyes national for Vic

REPORT FROM AINTREE:DESSIE HUGHES landed back-to-back Becher Chases as Vic Venturi emulated stablemate Black Apalachi with victory over the Grand National fences at Aintree yesterday.

The likes of Silver Birch and Amberleigh House had proved their worth with a Becher win before going on to plunder the world-famous race in recent years, and Black Apalachi was in the process of running well when unseating his jockey last April.

Hughes confirmed Black Apalachi will be back again for another tilt next year and he and his stablemate are Coral’s 20 to 1 co-favourites alongside Tricky Trickster for the 2010 National.

Totesport were most taken with Vic Venturi and make him their outright favourite at 16 to 1 while Ladbrokes and William Hill quote the nine-year-old at 25 to 1.

Vic Venturi jumped the final fence in a line of three with Keenan’s Future and last year’s Scottish Grand National winner Hello Bud, who had forced the issue for the duration of the three-mile-two-furlong trip. Paddy Flood’s mount asserted soon after and the 7 to 1 chance pulled five lengths clear of Keenan’s Future on the run-in with veteran Royal Rosa staying on for third.

Hello Bud had been fancied to provide Nigel Twiston-Davies with a much-needed tonic after Imperial Commander’s defeat at the hands of Kauto Star on Saturday, but the 100 to 30 favourite faded back to fifth in the testing conditions.

Hughes said: “I am very pleased with that as I was a little afraid of the weight, but he stays and Paddy was very good on him. He gave him a chance and he has stayed the trip well.

“He got into trouble at the third fence but after that he was fine and his jumping was very safe. There is only one race for him now and the Grand National will be the target.

“He may have a run over hurdles after Christmas to keep him ticking over and he’ll then go for the Bobbyjo Chase once the National weights have come out.

“We’ll have to come back for the National and Black Apalachi will also be back.

“We could have two contenders for the National this year – it is just a shame there are 38 others!” Flood added: “Up the straight I was only going through the motions and I didn’t want to get there too soon.

“The main issue was whether he would jump round but he took to the fences like a duck to water.

“He will be a National horse. He’s a bit small but has plenty of class and jumps like a buck.”

While Hughes will try to conserve the winner’s handicap mark until after the publication of National weights in February, Keenan’s Future’s trainer Ian Williams will be doing exactly the opposite.

He said: “That was a lovely run – he jumped and stayed while not appreciating the ground.

“The question is now whether we can get him high enough to get into the National. He will go up in the weights for today but we will need to get him even higher.

“I think he would make a lovely National horse as he loved it out there.”

Jamie Moore added a second win over the famous Grand National fences to his career tally as Dev put in an exhibition round in the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase. The 24-year-old has only been back in the plate a fortnight after breaking his ankle in August and followed up Dunbrody Millar’s 2007 Topham success aboard Mick Quinlan’s bold-jumping nine-year-old.

The 14 to 1 chance was left in a clear lead after Frankie Figg’s departure five out and Moore galvanised his mount along the run-in as Pak Jack laid down a challenge for a length-and-a-half success.

Quinlan said: “That was fantastic. He was going two and a half miles on ground he didn’t like, but we thought we would take a shot and his jumping was everything.

“Now we know he acts around the course we will have to think about bringing him back for the Topham.

“I am also delighted for Jamie as this should give him a great fillip on returning from injury.”

Moore added: “He was very gutsy and found more when the other horse came to him.”

Bible Lord unshipped Timmy Murphy at the fifth fence and the jockey was knocked unconscious for a short time, after which he was taken to Fazakerley Hospital for checks on a sore shoulder, although he was later cleared to return home.

Murphy missed a winning opportunity as William Kennedy replaced him aboard I’moncloudnine (9 to 2) and provided former rider Neil Mulholland with his first winner at the track as a trainer in the Plastic Design Handicap Chase.