British and Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins started the the 2025 Randox Grand National Festival with a bang as Impaire Et Passe (9-4) and Murcia (11-4) gave him at Grade One double on the opening day at Aintree Racecourse.
Impaire Et Passe won for a second year in a row at the Grand National Festival with victory in the Grade One EBC Group Manifesto Novices’ Chase. Less around half an hour later Murcia powered to glory in the Grade One Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle.
Impaire Et Passe, who scored over the smaller obstacles on this day last year in the Aintree Hurdle, had won two of his three starts over the bigger obstacles with his only defeat when third behind stable-mate Ballyburn in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown in February. But having bypassed the Cheltenham Festival and the seven-year-old returned winning ways under Paul Townend. He cruised through the contest in midfield as Gidliegh Park (7-1) made the running, But Impaire Et Passe came through to coming to the final fence and went on to score by a length-and-a-quarter form Gidleigh Park with Nicky Henderson's 6-4 favourite and Cheltenham Festival score Jango Baie (6-4 Fav) was a short-head back in third.
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Impaire Et Passe was sporting the double-green colours of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede that will be carried in the Grand National by the Tom Gibney-trained Intense Raffles, who is among the favourites for the big race after his win in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse last April.
Anthony Bromley, racing manager to the owners Simon Munir & Isaac Souede, said: “He would have gone to Cheltenham if that race hadn’t been changed to a handicap, so they did us a favour. He didn’t run well enough at the Dublin Racing Festival in fairness, so we thought we’d bypass Cheltenham anyway and freshen him up for this.
“We discussed cheekpieces at Leopardstown, but it’s not something Willie normally does. He’s got a lot of class, but he doesn’t do a lot in front and Paul will probably say he got there soon enough, but the horse took him there.
“That’s a great start to the week. We’ve got eight runners this week including El Fabiolo and Matata in the Melling tomorrow, and then Blue Lord and James du Berlais in the Topham, a nice horse in the bumper on Saturday and of course Intense Raffles in the big one.”
Co-owner Munir added: “We decided to bypass Cheltenham and bring him here fresh and it’s paid off. He jumped beautifully and aul had him in a nice position all the way through the race."
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Winning jockey Townend, who will again partner last year's Grand National winner I Am Maximus on Saturday, said: “His jumping was really, really good. Even when I won on him earlier this season he jumped brilliantly. He hit a flat spot that day but he came alive and showed the spark out there today that he did as a novice hurdler, when winning here and at Sandown.
“I was in front sooner than I wanted to be, but the last fence is a lot closer to the line here. The cheekpieces seem to be working well.”
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George and Carol Eyre, owners of runner-up Gidleigh Park, said: “That was very exciting – he’s run so well and there’s lots more to come from him. He’s a Gold Cup horse of the future! We’re delighted.”
Henderson, trainer of third-placed Jango Baie, added: “The other two hadn’t gone to Cheltenham, so he did very, very well to come back like that, and he’s finished very strongly. I think we’ll be starting over three miles next season. I had him in the three-miler here, and tossed up between the two races – very difficult decision – tossing a coin.
“He’ll be exciting over three miles – he’s finished every time, he’s coming home very strongly. He just hits a little bit of a flat spot and then he’s got a bit to do. At Cheltenham he was flat out all the way; he travelled today. That had to be a hard race at Cheltenham, and he’s done very well to come back and run like that. We’ve just got to see as the week goes on - they’ve all been there. He’s run really well, so I’m not panicking yet.”
Murcia (11-4) claimed an easy victory in the Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree.
The four-year-old filly, who was providing trainer Mullins and jockey Townend an early double, sport the Honeysuckle colours of owner Kenny Alexander. She had beaten in the Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham last month. But under a positive ride she bounced back to triumph by by six lengths from Live Conti (16-1). 6-4 favourite Puturhandstogether, who had won the Fred Winter, was a further length-and-a-quarter back in third.
Mullins said: "I wasn't expecting anything like that. I was hoping better ground would make a difference and that she might finish in the first four. If you're not in you can't win is my motto. It was a big improvement on the nicer ground and physically carrying less weight has helped her, it's a better weight for a mare."
When asked if he was tempted to run again at the Punchestown Festival this season, Mullins said: "Yes! Hopefully she'll come out of that well and she seems a tough mare, we haven't spared her this winter, but to put up a career-best in April is a good sign.
"It will make next year more difficult, but she's a Grade One winner now, there's a nice programme for the mares so after Punchestown she can have a nice break - unless we take her to Auteuil!"
A delighted Alexander said: "She's just improved all the time. Her Cheltenham run was OK, but today was something else - she must have improved a stone from Cheltenham there, I think maybe the faster ground might have helped her, we'll use that as an excuse.
"After Honeysuckle, I thought that was it, I thought it would be like Man United after Fergie, in the wilderness for a decade or whatever it is, but since then we've been lucky to bag a few and this is another good one."
Of Live Conti, Dan Skelton said: "He was a bit green on the way round and I was surprised how much pace he showed because he's National Hunt-bred and wouldn't strike you as a fast horse at home.
"He's run exceptionally well, giving 7lb to the winner who was very good on the day. I've got a lot of belief in him going forward and even more so after today.
"We're lucky to have horses like this as you know that as they get stronger and go chasing they're hopefully going go be headline makers.
"That will be him for this season and we'll stick to hurdling next year. We'd rather just take that extra year and make sure we're getting it right for the following one."
On whether he is feeling the pressure as far as the trainers' title is concerned following a flying start to Aintree for reigning champion Mullins, he said: "Not at this point, no. We'll see how the next couple of days go and we'll see about the Grand National, but not at the moment.
"We've had two runners today and both have run unbelievably well. I'm not worried yet.
"If Willie does beat us again that would be borderline unnecessary!"
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