Nothing hurts quite so much as the ones that get away. Unable to be at Cheltenham’s Festival the day the improving Holywell, one of this column’s Twelve to Follow, was running in the Pertemps Final, I had assumed I would be able to phone in my bets. Alas, where I was I had no access to a laptop and my phone went dead. Holywell, partnered as usual by the admirable Richie McLernon, ran a blinder to win ahead of Captain Sunshine and Jetson. The good news for those Spectator readers who have stuck with this winter’s selections was that his victory was secured at the heart-warming price of 25–1.
I can only hope for better luck with the upcoming Grand National, and with Irish trainer Willie Mullins having blitzed the Cheltenham Festival with no fewer than five winners, I am hoping that his luck continues. I backed his Prince de Beauchene for last year’s National and didn’t get a run after he was injured. I have backed him again for this year’s contest but with Willie’s other runner, On His Own, now the favourite for the race you can still get the 12–1 I got two months ago. I was a little disappointed with Prince de Beauchene’s prep race at Fairyhouse in February when he was beaten by Roi du Mee but as Willie said, ‘He ran a bit with the choke out, a bit fresh,’ and he was satisfied.
The National being the National, I have ante-post wagers on two others. Welsh trainer Evan Williams has shown that he knows exactly what is needed to get a horse into the frame at Aintree. From 2009 to 2011 he had State of Play in the first four and then last year Cappa Bleu finished third.
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