Tony Dobbin continued his love affair with the Grand National fences when booting home Feels Like Gold in the Tote Becher Chase at Aintree yesterday.
He completed his fifth success over the giant obstacles when Feels Like Gold gained an 11-lengths victory over Him Of Praise, with Tony Martin's Hollybank Buck a further one and three quarter lengths back in third.
The 1997 Grand National-winning jockey, successful that year on Lord Gyllene, added this second Becher Chase success to a victory in the John Hughes Memorial Chase and the 1995 John Parrett Memorial Trophy which was run over two miles of the National course.
But he could hardly have felt more comfortable in any of those races as he looked in this, with Feels Like Gold in front for a full circuit of the course having taken up the running at the water jump.
As they turned for home with three of the awesome fences in front of him they looked in no danger despite the presence of Hollybank Buck, who gave up second place close home.
That proved to be the case, with the crowd cheering home Nicky Richards' charge from the elbow.
"He's always a better horse fresh," said Richards of his 9 to 1 winner who finished fifth in this year's Martell Grand National. "He done it great, no bother. As soon as he ran in the National last season I knew exactly where he was coming.
"A bit of softer ground might have helped him but when they love this place it's a great advantage to them."
Richards has planned a quiet campaign for Feels Like Gold who will return for next year's Grand National.
"It'll be the Welsh National now, then the Eider and then back here," he said.
Feels Like Gold, who was given a 25 to 1 quote for next year's Grand National from Victor Chandler, began his racing career with Martin Pipe before being moved to Richards' late father Gordon at their Greystoke yard.
Only half of the 12-runner field managed to surmount all the obstacles but the only injury reported was a suspected broken leg for jockey Rodney Farrant whose mount Samlee came to grief at the second.
