RACING:UNFORESEEN circumstances slightly overshadowed the Cheltenham Festival success of Finian's Rainbow but he had the attention all to himself in the John Smith's Melling Chase at Aintree yesterday.
When Wishfull Thinking crashed through a fence, a rail and into photographers with a circuit remaining of the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the knock-on effect was for the obstacle to be bypassed and to leave Finian’s Rainbow fighting off Sizing Europe on the run-in.
Mercifully this Grade One was incident-free and even a first try chasing at two a half miles was not enough to thwart Nicky Henderson’s maturing nine-year-old, who could be asked to tackle even longer distances next season with his much-vaunted stablemate Sprinter Sacre pencilled in for the shortest division.
Wishfull Thinking, recovered from his bruising experience, turned out to be the 13 to 8 favourite’s most potent danger as he harried him over the final three fences but was unable to maintain his challenge to the line.
Barry Geraghty, who managed to keep Finian’s Rainbow settled and away from boiling point, eventually pushed his mount seven lengths clear. The first prize of almost £100,000 ensures Henderson remains neck-and-neck with Paul Nicholls in his attempt to wrestle the trainers’ title from the perennial champion.
“Last year as a novice he was trying to do everything in a terrible rush,” said Henderson. “He was only a bit quieter here last year because he’d had a hard race in the Arkle at Cheltenham.
“He grew up last summer for some reason and suddenly became a sensible person. Last year he looked an out-and-out two-miler but you always hoped he would stay and today he was always in a comfortable position just behind.
“You just hoped he was in cruise control and he probably was. When he switched him on he picked it up very quickly. We’ve got all summer to think about next season, but he’s won the Champion Chase, he’s won this. He goes to bed with all the medals.”
Always Waining made Aintree history when winning the John Smith’s Topham Chase for the third year in a row and in the process ended a barren spell for trainer Peter Bowen.
Bowen had not had a winner since January, but the 11-year-old gave connections reason to celebrate and justify their tough decision to miss the John Smith’s Grand National.
Always Waining rarely shows much sparkle for the majority of the season but he springs to life at the Liverpool course in April.
Once again jumping the National fences with aplomb, the 11 to 1 chance was too strong for Chance Du Roy on the long run-in to score by four and a half lengths with Fistral Beach third.
