Seven-time men’s point-to-point champion Will Biddick grabbed one of Britain’s trio of leading hunters’ chases with a memorable victory in today's Randox Foxhunters’ Chase (4.05pm) at Aintree on Famous Clermont.
It was also a thrilling moment for trainer Chris Barber, whose grandfather Richard won the race in 2009 with Trust Fund, for owners Biddiscombe, Rousell, Collins & Rogers, and for bloodstock agent Ed Bailey. He and the trainer bought Famous Clermont at Doncaster in 2019 for a knockdown £5,000 – the winner’s prize today was £24,000.
Famous Clermont (9/2) beat the John Dawson-ridden Bennys King (16/1) by four and three-quarters of a length, with Irish challenger Lough Derg Spirit (40/1) half a length back in third. Latenightpass (9/2), who won the race last year and was second in 2021, ran another superb race from the front, but tired in the final stages and finshed fourth, just three-quarters of a length further back. “He was brilliant again,” said rider Gina Andrews.
Biddick made his point-to-point debut 20 years ago, and this was his first success in a top British hunters’ chase, although he has two victories in the Punchestown Champion Hunters’ Chase and a Cheltenham Festival victory on his CV. He was second in the Randox Foxhunters’ Chase in 2015 on Pacha Du Polder, and he trained Porlock Bay to win the 2021 St James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase at a time when amateur riders could not take part in the race.
Will Biddick - plenty of big wins on his CV (Carl Evans)
Biddick said: “For amateurs the hunters’ chases at Cheltenham and Aintree are the ones you want to be aiming at. I’ve been second in a Becher Chase and second in a Foxhunters’ and I was desperate to win it.
“The standing start today wasn’t ideal – he was a bit flat-footed and it took him a while to get going, but he got into gear going down to Becher’s and then came back on the bridle. I probably hit the front too soon, but I wasn’t going to stop once I got there.
“He’s got a big engine and he’s a proper horse. It’s nice that he’s come up through the point-to-point field and has progressed all the way through the ranks. That he can hold his own in championship races is a good advert for British pointers.
“His win in the Walrus Hunters’ Chase at Haydock [in February] was a game changer. He went there after spending time with my father-in-law, Rupert Nuttall, doing a bit of showjumping and pole work, which helped his jumping. He’s growing in confidence all the time, and at Cheltenham [last month] he travelled and jumped but didn’t quite stay up the hill.
“We came here today over a shorter distance and on a flat track and it was right up his street.
“Chris has training and racing in his blood. He’s only in his twenties but he’s bringing lots of nice young horses through and he bought this one with Ed Bailey. We’ve all come up through British point-to-pointing and so it’s great to get together and win on the big stage.”