The £65,000 Grade Two
Betfred Monet's Garden Old Roan Chase is the highlight on an exciting
seven-race card at Aintree on Betfred Old Roan Chase Day, Saturday, October 27,
2012.
Betfred Old Roan Chase
Day starts the new season of thrilling racing at Aintree and is the first of
three autumn racedays at the famous racecourse. Aintree also races the next
day, Sunday, October 28, 2012, which is Matalan Family Fun Day, while Betfred
Becher Chase Day on Saturday, December 8 features two races over the Grand National
fences.
Multiple Grade
One-winning chaser Albertas Run made a successful reappearance last
season in the Betfred Monet's Garden Old Roan Chase with a gutsy front-running
effort under regular partner, the 16-time champion jump jockey A P McCoy, to
score by a length from outsider Pure Faith with dual Champion Chase hero Master
Minded back in third.
The Jonjo
O'Neill-trained 11-year-old was subsequently a brave half-length second in the
Grade One Ryanair Chase at this year's Cheltenham Festival before returning to
Aintree to finish third in the Grade One John Smith's Melling Chase in April
behind Finian's Rainbow.
Mick Meagher, racing
manager to Albertas Run's owner Trevor Hemmings, said: "Albertas Run is
fine. We haven't made any definite plans with him but he has started in the
Betfred Monet's Garden Old Roan Chase the past two years so it's a possibility
for him.
"We will play it by
ear with him in regards to his plans for the rest of the season. He seems well
and he has followed almost the same route for the last three seasons so I don't
think it will change very much this time around."
The Betfred Monet's
Garden Old Roan Chase, over two and a half miles of the Mildmay Course, was
first run at Aintree in 2004 and has been won by some jumping icons including
16-time Grade One winner Kauto Star in 2006.
The race is run in
honour of three-time winner and Aintree specialist Monet's Garden for the
second year.
One of the most popular
chasers of recent times, Monet's Garden etched his name into Aintree folklore
with three sensational victories in the Grade Two limited handicap chase in
2007 (beating Kauto Star), 2009 and 2010 and also triumphed in the Grade One
John Smith's Melling Chase and the Liverpool Hurdle at the John Smith's Grand
National meeting.
The gallant grey, who
won 17 of his 32 races for trainer Nicky Richards and owner David Wesley Yates,
retired from racing in January, 2011 and battled bravely against a
life-threatening hoof infection which he is fully recovered from.
The 14-year-old, now
looked after by Richards' daughter Joey, paraded at Aintree before the running
of the Betfred Old Roan Chase last year and has already been to Aintree this
year, having attended as a show horse in July when he finished sixth in the
retrained racehorse class.
Betfred Old Roan Chase
Day, with the first race at 1.50pm, also features the £20,000 Betfred Mobile
Sports Veterans' Handicap Chase, which is for horses aged 10 and above.
Matalan Family Fun Day
on Sunday, October 28 is geared towards the younger generation with a number of
exciting activities off the track including the chance to meet Peppa Pig, a
medal craft workshop, pony riding and grooming, face painters, ride like a
jockey and dance classes with MDI.
The day has a fancy
dress competition with both children and adults encouraged to dress up as their
favourite sporting personalities of 2012.
Aintree will also host
its first edition of the M-Factor which invites the younger generation to show
off their talents and skills in front of a panel of judges for a chance of
winning a £2,000 prize, made up of £1,000 cash and £1,000 worth of Matalan
vouchers.
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