Galway and Perth options for trainer's first Grade 1 runner who went from detached last to 50-1 second at Aintree

Gary Hanmer will consider a summer trip to the Galway festival with Minella Rescue, who was the trainer’s first Grade 1 runner at Aintree when finishing an eyecatching second in the Sefton.

Sean Bowen’s mount was sent off a 50-1 shot in the 3m½f novice hurdle last Friday and was detached early on. However, Minella Rescue, whose owner Simon Boucher celebrated his 50th birthday the day before, worked his way into the race on the final circuit and stayed on dourly in the straight to be beaten only two lengths by Julius Des Pictons.

Hanmer, who took out a full licence in 2015 and is based in Cheshire, said: “It was always the intention off level weights in a Grade 1 novice to take our time with him and there’s nobody better at doing that than Sean.

“I was a little bit alarmed when he jumped off stone last and five or six lengths detached. I know I had told Sean to take his time but it was going to be dark by the time they got back!

“Sean knows exactly what he’s doing, though, and turning in I thought he could stay on into the top six. At the second-last it looked like a top-four finish was possible and then by the last we were doing plenty of shouting.

“It was a great run and everyone is still buzzing at the yard now. The staff have a real spring in their step.”

Gary Hanmer: has Perth and Galway options for his stable starCredit: John Grossick

Minella Rescue has two bumper wins and a novice hurdle victory on his CV and could bid for Listed success at Perth in a 3m novice hurdle on April 23.

Hanmer saddled Dawn Raider to finish third and fourth at Galway’s big summer meeting in 2021 and 2022, and he may target a 3m handicap hurdle at the week-long festival on August 3.

“The ground has been on the easy side the two years I’ve had a runner at Galway, which would put us off a little bit, but we do have a trip over there in mind,” said Hanmer. “The owners are very keen to travel so it’s certainly an option. It’s a tremendous meeting and very popular.

“Minella Rescue’s come out of Aintree in good form and there is a Listed race for him at Perth this month, but we’ll have to see what the entries are like. It would be no surprise to see the Skelton and Mullins juggernauts turn up there for a £40,000 prize so we might be better off looking elsewhere.

“We’ll do what is best for the horse, he clearly has a big engine and we want to plan his future sensibly. We’ve been trying to raise our profile and it’s great to have him as a flagbearer.”

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