Grumeti douses Triumph Flame

Alan King’s Grumeti turned the Triumph Hurdle tables on Countrywide Flame in the Matalan Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree.

John Quinn’s Countrywide Flame had come with a wet sail at Cheltenham to claim the prize but this time Dougie Costello set out to make all the running on Merseyside, and it looked a good move as turning into the straight he had all his rivals off the bridle, including the eventual winner, who was hard at work a long way out.

The two came close together after the last but Robert Thornton kept Grumeti, the 11-4 favourite, up to his work and won by a length. Sadler’s Risk stayed on for third, some 21 lengths away.

King said: “That’s three times we’ve won this race but I was worried leaving the back and turning in.

“He wasn’t travelling well but he’s a horse that shows a lot of pace at home. I don’t know where it went to today.

“He’s battled on very well and they were the right horses, him and the Triumph winner, and they’ve gone a long way clear.”

Quinn said of the runner-up: “I’d say the first two have improved from Cheltenham as the rest were out of sight. They are two very good horses and maybe we’ll beat him the next day.

“He’ll have two months off, we’ll try and win a Flat race with him and hopefully win the Cesarewitch and then go on to the Fighting Fifth.”