Donald McCain’s Minella Drama went one better than 12 months ago to land the Virgin Bet Old Roan Limited Handicap Chase with a tremendous display from the front at Aintree.
Ridden by Brian Hughes, Minella Drama has plenty of form at a track the McCain name will always be associated with and the former champion jockey immediately sent his mount forward in the Grade Two contest, leading along the Paul Nicholls-trained pair of 2-1 favourite Stage Star and Hitman.
Both Lucinda Russell’s Ahoy Senor and Dan Skelton’s Grand Annual winner Unexpected Party raced kindly for their riders anchored at the back of the field, but the eye was always watching Minella Drama as he jumped slickly from fence to fence.
The 3-1 shot was still leading as the field entered the home straight and he was asked for maximum effort by Hughes after two out as the challengers loomed.
However, the nine-year-old responded to his rider’s every urging and stuck his head down gamely to see off Hitman, who was a length and three-quarters adrift in second.
McCain said: “It’s magic, he’s been a wonderful little horse who has deserved his big day.
“There’s no better place for him to do it. It’s what it is all about and if we could pick and choose where for him to win, this would be the place. He’s got local owners and obviously we’re a local yard so it’s very special.
“He’s got some good form here and was second in the Grade One novice hurdle so obviously likes the place and I’m sure we will be coming back here at some point.”
He was handed a quote of 16-1 by Paddy Power for the Grand Sefton Chase over the Grand National fences back at Aintree next month, but McCain has no particular target in mind at this stage having won his local track’s first major race of the new season.
He continued: “I’ve always been inclined – because he is so tough – to over-race him a bit, but I don’t know whether I should take a patience pill now he’s won his big one and give him chance to regroup. We’ll get home and sort it out and there’s no great plan.
“He hates turning right out of the yard to go south, he likes going north. It sounds ridiculous, but he lost the plot down at Ascot last year, I could have not even saddled him up he was that upset beforehand. There’s no rhyme or reason to it that’s just him, so we will take our time.”