Veteran grey Smad Place wins the Old Road Chase at Aintree for Alan King
Alan King's popular grey Smad Place showed some of his old spark to hold off last season's Arkle runner-up Cloudy Dream in a high-class Old Road Chase.
SMAD PLACE showed he is still a force to be reckoned with as Alan King's 10-year-old veteran came out on top in a battle of the greys in the 188Bet Monet's Garden Old Roan Limited Handicap Chase at Aintree.
Malcom Jefferson's Cloudy Dream loomed up menacingly in the straight and looked a big threat to the much older Smad Place (12-1), but King's 2015 Hennessy Gold Cup winner would not be denied under jockey Wayne Hutchinson.
Hutchinson said: "That was fantastic. There's still life in the old boy yet. The ground is a bit slower than last year and he's a bit lower in the weights. It turned into a staying race up the straight and that obviously suited him.
"He's a little bit caught between two stools as he's not good enough to win a Gold Cup or a King George, but he doesn't know how to run a bad race and doesn't owe the yard or me anything."
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Trainer Jefferson said of Cloudy Dream: "He ran a blinder. He's settling down now and settled into the race and jumped well.
"He's in the race at Cheltenham next month (BetVictor Gold Cup) and he'll probably go for that, as long as the ground is suitable.
Templegate's Treble
NAP 1.40 Redcar - Miningrocks: 'This tough front-runner will be hard to pass and won at the course three weeks ago'
NEXT BEST 1.20 Leicester - Dance The Dream: 'She ran useful Blakeney Point close over today's track and a repeat would see her go close'
TREBLE 4.10 Leicester - True Companion: 'Will find this less competitve and has the assistance of the useful James Bowen'
"I'm sure he'll get three miles now he's settling more in his races. I'm very happy with him.
"I'd liked to have won, but he's come to Liverpool and run another good race."