Frances Crowley had her first success in Britain when Sackville defeated the Charlie Swan ridden favourite No Discount in the Belle Epoque Hurdle but yesterday also emphasised the animal safety controversy that is brewing around today's Grand National. The first fence in the John Hughes Trophy, which claimed the life of Rossell Island on Thursday, also caught out the Ferdy Murphy trained Toni's Tip who broke his back in a fall. It brings the total of fatalaties at the festival to five and provided more ammunition for the various animal rights groups opposed to the big race. One such group, Animal Aid, has already threatened legal action under the 1911 British Protection Of Animals Act and have stated: 'It's now time for those promoting the event to withdraw their support. The alternative is yet more suffering and death.'
It's emotive stuff but those entitled to the most emotion are determind to put the events in context and Ferdy Murphy declared: 'It's just one of those things and could have happened anywhere. He made a slight mistake and went to save himself. He was a really good jumper who must have fiddled 300 fences.'
Such considerations were far from Frances Crowley's mind. She greeted her first cross-channel success by declaring her intention of training Sackville for Punchestown. 'We were never really tempted by the idea of Punchestown but he had really come into form in the last coupleof months,' said Crowley after Sackville stayed on to beat the favourite No Discount by seven lengths.
It was a first Aintree win for Barry Geraghty who has his first National ride on Call It A Day and who described his first experience of the National fences as 'brilliant.'
That came in the John Hughes on Classy Lad, unplaced behind Northern Starlight. The unlucky horse of the race, however, was the favourite Risk Of Thunder who made a bad mistake at the Chair and then saw his saddle slip at Bechers and ended up finishing seventh with rider Ken Whelan having lost his irons.
Norman Williamson was stood down for the day after a fall in this race but had earlier been in great form with a double on Direct Route in the Mumm Melling Chase and on High Game who won the novice chase.
