Heversham Park-connected Found A Fifty received quotes of 33-1 (from 66) from Paddy Power for next season’s Champion Chase after getting the better of a head-bobbing finish with Master Chewy in the My Pension Expert Maghull Novices’ Chase. He has had five Grade 1 runs this year and has never been out of the first two!
Found A Fifty was headed halfway up the run-in but battled back to score by a head. In doing so he completed a Grade 1 double on the day for Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy after Brighterdaysahead’s win in the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle. Trainer and jockey also combined to claim the runner-up spot in the National with Delta Work.
“I’ve been delighted with all of the horses we’ve run,” said Elliott. “On another day we could have had four or five winners.”
On Found A Fifty, he added: “Bective Stud are massive supporters. You are always nervous with these horses when you come on from Cheltenham, but we haven’t done much too intensive with them. People think they are machines, but they aren’t machines. Jack was great and the horse is awesome, but it’s kind of a guessing game.”
He’s a son of Solksjaer, who was bought unwanted in South Africa for R5,000 by Heversham’s Advocate Nigel Riley, and exported to the UK.