Culloty on high with Cassia Heights win
02/04/2004 - 16:10:58Cassia Heights, trained by Steve Brookshaw and ridden by Jim Culloty, won the Martell Cognac Topham Chase over the Grand National fences at Aintree today.
Culloty hit the front as the leaders rounded the elbow and his mount, a 33-1 shot, stuck on bravely to see off the late challenge of Longshanks.
The Steve Brookshaw-trained Cassia Heights won by a length, with Scotmail Boy a further three-quarters of a length away third and Flinders Chase fourth.
Joly Bey, sent off the 5-1 favourite, fell when travelling well at the head of affairs four fences from home.
Leading jockeys Carl Llewellyn, Tony Dobbin, Mick Fitzgerald and Tony McCoy all suffered falls in the extended two-mile-five-furlong handicap.
