Brian Hughes 'gutted' but Lucinda Russell thrilled with Bowl runner-up Ahoy Senor

There were mixed emotions in the camp of the brave Aintree Bowl runner-up Ahoy Senor, with Lucinda Russell hailing a "fantastic" effort off the back of his fall in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

However, supersub jockey Brian Hughes – who stepped in for the ride on Ahoy Senor as Derek Fox gives himself every chance to be fit for Corach Rambler in the Randox Grand National on Saturday – said he was hugely disappointed to be caught by Shishkin after appearing to have opened up a decisive advantage between the final two fences.

"I'm gutted to be honest," said Hughes. "He's done nothing wrong, has he? He's lost a front shoe and missed the last.

"I don't know how Nico [de Boinville on Shishkin] was going behind me, but when I got over the ditch I just wanted to send him on because I knew he stayed, and he's just picked me up."

The race featured a constant game of cat and mouse between Hughes and De Boinville, who moved Shishkin up to shadow Ahoy Senor after halfway but was never able to find racing room up the leader's inside.

Asked if he was frustrated by Ahoy Senor's occasional lack of fluency at his fences, Hughes added: "I wouldn't say he doesn't help you. He's a big guy and when he gets in under one he's got his own way of getting from A to B. He's quite big.

"He's not frustrating, he's a horse with a lot of ability. I'm not gonna think he's frustrating now. I'm frustrated."

Russell and partner Peter Scudamore spoke to the Racing Post's Catherine Macrae earlier this week about the division of labour and love between the two of them when it comes to Ahoy Senor and Corach Rambler. And Russell made it clear just how much Ahoy Senor means to her after going close to recording what would have been a third straight Grade 1 success at the Grand National meeting.

Ahoy Senor and Brian Hughes led throughout but were caught after the last by ShishkinCredit: Michael Steele

"I'm exceedingly proud," said Russell. "Shishkin is a fabulous horse, Ahoy Senor just got a little bit tired before the last and made that mistake.

"When you think that last time I was running round trying to catch him because he had fallen at Cheltenham, that's got to take a bit out of him. I'm delighted to see him back. He took three or four days to get over it.

"We'll devise a nice plan for next season, but I'm sure we'll be back here."

Russell attached no blame to Hughes, adding: "It must have been hard for Brian, he'd never ridden him before in a race. I think he was a bit disappointed to be caught, but in my view he ran a fantastic race.

"He got tired eight strides out from the last and that's why he made a mistake. But Shishkin is a fabulous horse, he's a flying machine."

Gold Cup third Conflated tracked the leading pair until turning in before backing out of it and was pulled up, jockey Keith Donoghue reporting that: "Cheltenham had left its mark"

A Plus Tard briefly looked a threat but was unable to go with the front two from the back of the third-last. Rachael Blackmore said: "For the most part of the race he felt great, but he just tired a bit for a finish."

Trainer Henry de Bromhead wasn't too downbeat about his Gold Cup winner, saying: “It was way better than Haydock, and who knows what would have happened at Cheltenham. It was effectively his first race of the year and we feel we’ve got something to build on again next season. We’ll give him the benefit and see."

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