Gracchus De Balme (6-1) ran out a fine winner of the Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase on day one of the 2025 Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse.
The Joe O'Shea-trained nine-year-old, who was given a positive ride by Huw Edwards, grabbed victory in the first race – for amateur riders – over the Grand National fences of this year's Aintree Festival. The nine-year-old appeared to be set for a place when he was passed by Dan Skelton's Jet Plane (11-1) and Jack Edwards after the last. But Gracchus De Balme rallied and went on to score by a length from Skelton's nine-year-old. Lifetime Ambition (5-1) was a further length-a-quarter back in third. The Edward Walker-trained My Drogo (5-1), who had been a former Grade One winner at this meeting in his younger days when trained by Skelton, was a further length back in fourth.
READ MORE: Full list of the final 34 runners and riders for the the Grand National
It was a second victory in the race for trainer O'Shea who trains in Nantwich, Cheshire. His first win was with 66-1 shot Cousin Pascal four years ago. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic when there was no spectators allowed so this victory was much sweeter for the Cheshire-based trainer. O'Shea said: "When we had the winner in 2021 (Cousin Pascal) there was no one here, it was COVID year.
"As we're only 15 or 20 miles away, we're in proper hunter chase country and we've brought a coach load today.
"I've been very ill over the summer, I had a heart operation and my head girl Anna (Roach) broke her back on the gallops. But I kept saying to her 'don't worry, we'll win the Foxhunters'. This horse is so fast he can play table tennis on his own!"
He added: “We made the plan six months ago. My head girl Anna (Roach) had a nasty accident on the gallops in November and I said to her then that I’d win this for you, don’t you worry.
“The right horse won and the money was on. Once he went past me at the Grand National start I said to Anna ‘we’ve won this’. She had the best hunter chaser in the country, and he got a leg and she broke her back. We’ve got to do an Aldaniti and come back to win this next year with Iskander Pecos.”
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Anna Roach added: “When I broke my back and Iskander Pecos got an injury too it was the worst day of my life, but this horse winning like that is unbelievable and a great achievement. I can’t believe we’ve won it again after winning four years ago with Cousin Pascal. Honestly it’s so emotional.”
The winning rider Huw Edwards said: “He jumped and travelled; I kept filling him up the whole way and he’s seen it out well. It’s brilliant. The start was a bit messy but he travels and jumps well so he took me there, and he was spot on the rest of the way. I could hear them coming, but I was too scared to have a look, really. He didn’t feel tired and he just kept finding.
“Coming into the Elbow I thought I’d get beat, but he stayed on so well. My grandfather rode in 12 Nationals and finished third once (on Peacetown, in 1964).
“I ride out for Joe most days and he does so well with his horses. It’s great – I can’t really believe it. The horse was cheap and to have come and done this – it’s brilliant. I don’t know what to think!”
The Paul Nicholls-trained Sans Bruit (5-1) won the Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase for a second successive year. Under Harry Cobden, the nine-year-old – who had bypassed the Cheltenham Festival to wait for another crack at the two mile contest – scored by four-and-a-half lengths from Calico (10-1) with Inedit Star (18-1) a further length-and-a-quarter back in third.
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