Apple Away grabs Grade 1 glory for Stephen Mulqueen and Lucinda Russell
Apple Away ridden by Stephen Mulqueen
Stephen Mulqueen scored his first Grade 1 success as he guided Apple Away to glory in the Sefton Novices' Hurdle giving trainer Lucinda Russell a second victory in the last three renewals of the race.
Ahoy Senor was a shock 66/1 winner of the three-mile Grade One two years ago for the Scottish trainer, but has since proved that was no fluke by establishing himself as a top-class staying chaser.
Apple Away was not quite as big a price following recent triumphs in a handicap hurdle at Ayr and a Listed race at Doncaster, although she did face a steep rise in class and was a 16-1 shot to beat the boys.
Just as Ahoy Senor did in 2021, Apple Away set out to make all the running in the hands of Mulqueen and one by one saw off each of her challengers.
Donald McCain's Maximilian emerged as the biggest threat after the final flight, but Apple Away never looked in real danger of being reeled in with her 7lb allowance and had a length and three-quarters in hand at the line.
Iroko and Stay Away Fay, both winners at the Cheltenham Festival last month, finished third and fourth respectively.
Russell said: "I'm so delighted for Old Gold Racing (owners). When the micro-share syndicates were announced a lot of people thought they wouldn't work, but results like this prove they do. I'm so pleased to see everyone.
"She's just a relentless galloper. Scu (Peter Scudamore) was confident that she was good enough for this race because she's such a relentless galloper - she only has one pace but she keeps it up.
"We might have had a couple get caught yesterday after leading over the last but that did not enter my mind today as I knew she'd keep going, she's a three-miler.
"She'll go chasing next season, if she takes to jumping the way she gallops, she could be quite exciting."
She added: "There's always something about a good mare, they get hold of your heart and she absolutely does. We knew she had a few pounds to find, but that 7lb allowance came in very handy. She's got such tenacity and determination, she's ideal for this race."
Russell is due to run the strongly-fancied Corach Rambler in Saturday's Grand National, and said: "Don't start me off! I hear he's not favourite now which is good, that takes a bit of pressure off. The horses have just been in great form this season and we're riding the crest of a wave.
"I'm really pleased for Scu, he used to ride her on a morning but she's too much for him now!"
Of Maximilian, McCain said: "Brian (Hughes) hoped they would go a little bit quicker because he has endless stamina. That's it for the season, he's a very exciting horse to look forward to.
"He's run a blinder. On another day we might have got a different result, but we're trying to give away weight to the mare and she is clearly a very good horse. We're proud of him, he's run a good race."
