Doumen delivers in Post
Francois Doumen delivered a powerful rebuttal to fears over the well-being of his string as he dominated proceedings at Sandown Park, highlighted by a one-two in the £100,000 Racing Post Chase.
Punters who ignored the Frenchman’s warnings over recent bad weather affecting the fitness of his horses were cheering as Innox ran out a two-and-a-half-length victor over stablemate L’Ami.
The 8-1 winner led at the Pond Fence three out in the hands of champion jockey Tony McCoy and sealed success with a huge jump at the last that almost saw him land too steeply.
He was chased home by top-weight L’Ami, who ran a fine trial for the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup as he stayed on under Arnaud Duchene.
L’Ami was originally offered at 20-1 in places for that prize after the race but is now down to 16-1 and shorter – a price that still looks fair value in an open renewal.
Innox heads next for the John Smith’s Grand Naional for which he is a general 16-1 chance.
His owner JP McManus, who already has favourite Clan Royal for the race, is a 7-2 chance with Ladbrokes to achieve his long-held ambition of taking the Aintree spectacular.
It was Schuh Shine and Ballycassidy who helped ensure the race was run at a decent gallop and the latter was still in front when Innox took control.
There was a dramatic moment at the last where Risk Accessor – staying-on in fifth – crashed out through the wing giving his rider Noel Fehily a nasty scare. Horse and jockey were quickly on their feet, however.
McCoy, dashing off to Chepstow after weighing-in, said: “He kept doing it for me, but he got a bit outpaced at the Railway Fences and jumped a bit left there. I had to get after him a bit earlier than I wanted, but the big thing about him was he was always going to stay.
“Mr Doumen said he wasn’t 100 per cent certain about his fitness because he wasn’t sure about some of his horses. But he was fit enough.
“The Grand National is a long way off, but I’m glad I’ve ridden a good winner for Mr McManus.”
Doumen was delighted with the performance of both his horses.
“It was not at all my intention to run L’Ami here under top weight but I had wanted to run in the Aon at Newbury and that was called off and I needed to get a run into him,” he said.
“Arnaud gave him a good ride. He got him clear on the outside and did not use his whip too much.
“Despite all of the difficulties we have had to train with the weather, they have come and run well.
“We don’t have the sort of all-weather facilities to get them fit when it is freezing and we have not been able to use the grass for two weeks.
“Mr McManus dreams of having a good chance at Aintree and after this horse’s seventh in the Grand National last year it has always been the plan to go back.
“He seems to do well when he is fresh as he hadn’t run for 90 days before today. He might give Cheltenham a miss and go straight to Aintree now.”
Doumen and Duchene had already struck on the card when Kasbah Bliss leapt up the betting for next month’s JCB Triumph Hurdle after making a winning British bow in the RPSport No.1 for Sports Betting Adonis Juvenile Hurdle.
Duchene brought the winner gradually into the race and got the better of a battle with favourite Blazing Bailey by a length and a half – the first two having had the race to themselves from the second-last.
Bookmakers VC Bet and Bet365 initially offered 20-1 about the winner’s chances for the Triumph but punters, remembering the 2000 victory of Snow Drop in the race, took immediate action and Kasbah Bliss is now a best-priced 16-1 chance with William Hill and Paddy Power.
“I really was fearing the ground today but thanks to the wind it is a bit better than it could have been,” said Doumen.
“The horse hadn’t run for a long time and I was questioning his fitness but he did it well.
“This was very much his preparation for Cheltenham and although I cannot compare him to Snow Drop, they were both bred by my wife.”
