'He's on springs' - Chianti Classico gets Britain on the board and inspires Grand National hopes

David Bass got it right as Chianti Classico rolled back the years for Kim Bailey by landing the Ultima Handicap Chase to give Britain its only success on day one of the festival.

His trainer had two live hopes for a race he had last won a quarter of a century ago with Betty's Boy and the jockey feared he had made the wrong choice when the rain came.

But Trelawne fell at the second fence whereas his stablemate jumped well throughout and scored by a ready four and a half lengths from Twig, who gave 5lb claimer Beau Morgan a thrilling ride on his first mount at the meeting.

"I made the decision pretty quickly to ride him and the rain came," Bass told Racing TV. "Yesterday and this morning I was starting to doubt my decision.

"But after I'd jumped a few I was confident because he's so straightforward and he loves jumping. It was just a case of trying not to get there too soon. Which I didn't manage to do! But I managed to get to the front and get a breather into him."

David Bass before riding Chianti Classico to win the Ultima Handicap ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

Bass believes the winner could be a horse for the Grand National, in which he finished second on The Last Samuri in 2016.

"Going round I was thinking of Liverpool next year," he said. "He reminds me of The Last Samuri. He's not very big but he's on springs when he jumps."

"David's been confident the whole way through," Bailey said. "He was right! He was adamant from day one. He adores this horse. He's not very big but he's so much ability and is so agile.

"I spent the first half of the race wanting to see whether Trelawne was okay and then I looked back and saw Chianti Classico make a mistake and I thought, 'Oh no, David's getting too brave.' But he jumped for fun, he was cantering down the hill, wasn't he?"

Bass was riding his first winner at the meeting since 2020 and said: "It's been too long. Riding good horses here is a privilege but I know how hard it is to win here. I should have ridden more festival winners, I probably should have ridden a couple of winners for Nicky Henderson when I was a claimer so I really appreciate it."

Morgan certainly appreciated his spin on Twig and said: "This morning we were debating even running this horse, he wants better ground. But we thought we could go here and prep him for Aintree and he's run like that!

"He's run an amazing race. For my first ride at the festival to finish second, I'm absolutely delighted. He's run an incredible race."

But Highland Hunter, who led the coffin at the recent funeral of Keagan Kirby because he was his favourite horse when he was trained by Paul Nicholls, died after the race. 

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