Cheshire point-to-point trainer Joe O’Shea achieved the biggest win of his career when Cousin Pascal won yesterday’s 21-runner Rose Paterson Randox Foxhunters’ Chase at Aintree.
Ridden by James King – who was winning the famous race for the second time – Cousin Pascal (66/1) beat the Gina Andrews-ridden Latenightpass (11/2) by two and a half lengths, with Cat Tiger (11/2) and David Maxwell finishing third. There was a remarkable run by 200/1 shot Clondaw Westie to finish fourth under Izzie Marshall, while the 2/1 favourite Billaway came from an apparently hopeless position to finish fast and take fifth, a further half length behind. O’Shea’s other contender, Ravished, took sixth, while Sametegal, the mount of seven-time British champion Will Biddick, faded from a good position two out to finish ninth.
O’Shea, who is reported in today’s Racing Post as having won £16,000 in bets, trains nine-year-old Cousin Pascal for owner Peter Clifton. Two years ago O’Shea saddled the 11/4 favourite for the race, Road To Rome, who finished fifth, while he also saddled Cottage Oak who finished fifth in 2014.
He said: “We are local - we’re based in Nantwich, Cheshire. I’m a Manchester boy, really; moved out to the countryside.
“My dream, ever since I sneaked in to watch Rag Trade win the 1976 National, I’d just left school – I said, ‘I’m going to train a winner over these National fences. I didn’t want a [training] licence, never interested me, I’m happy with what I’m doing, training the pointers.
“But I’ve come so close in this race. Cottage Oak was going well and finished fifth and Lilbitluso fell when he was going very well [in second] at the Canal Turn three years ago.
“I must admit, this horse has improved so much since he came – I’ve never seen a horse improve so much in my life. He came from Ireland, the cheapest horse I’ve ever been associated with – we’d spend more on champagne in a weekend than what he cost.
“I think the bill for getting him vetted was more than he cost! But he’s never stopped improving and then the other day, this time last week, I worked him with a maiden of mine we do think a lot of, and the maiden beat him.
“I was scratching my head – I thought either the maiden was something special, or we’ve got a problem. The maiden came out and won his maiden on the bridle, so I knew everything was fine for today. I backed him and backed him, and every time I backed him – a bit like the Irish National winner – every time I backed him he went out, so I backed him again. We’ll do well out of the job.
“When I spoke to the owner before I threw the jockey on, I said, ‘let’s enjoy today, this could be a bit fast for him, but we’ll come back next year and we’ll do the job proper’, because I thought he’d lack early pace.
“All he does is stay, and I said to the jockey, ‘get the best start you can, because nothing will be coming faster’, so once he was bang there at the home turn, over the Melling Road, I thought ‘there’s only one winner now’. Thank you to Aintree for putting it on – we absolutely love this place.
“When Bet365 put my money in my account tonight, it will be spent tomorrow on the beer – we will celebrate this proper. It's taken me 30 years to do this – it might take me another 30.”
Cousin Pascal (Huw Edwards) winning a restricted race at Chaddesley Corbett in December
King, who won the Foxhunters’ Chase on Dineur in 2017, said: “The first one didn’t really sink in but I will definitely appreciate this one a lot more. He [O’Shea] said don’t miss the start and don’t give any ground away and you will be finishing fast at the end, and his instructions proved correct.
“I couldn’t believe the start I got with 20-odd runners lining up abreast. I thought they would go a hellish gallop over the first four. Me and Jack Andrews [on Golden Tobouggan] got a great start – we went down to the second upsides and that’s where I stayed really to the fore.
“I had a great sit down to the inside and he is a very neat agile horse. I was able to give him a good spin around the Canal Turn and he jumped well from there. It is great. It didn’t sink in the first time but second time it means a whole lot more. After the race Joe said ‘brilliant’ and his instructions before the race were “Give it a ride” and hopefully I’ve done that.”
James King, who rode Cousin Pascal for Joe O'Shea
Tom Ellis, trainer of runner-up Latenightpass, who is owned and was bred by the trainer’s mum, Pip, said: “That was absolutely brilliant. I foaled this horse the night before I had my only ride around here, when I finished third, and he has improved every season. It’s a dream come true to have one as good as he is.
“We’ve done everything with him until this day, bringing him up through the ranks, and to run as well as he did when fourth at Cheltenham was fantastic. This was a bit of an afterthought to be honest, but I think next year we’ll skip Cheltenham and train him for this. He’s barely 16 hands, so not very big, but he loved it and we’ll definitely be coming back.”
Trainer Paul Nicholls said of Cat Tiger: “He ran very well. He made a horrific mistake at about the fourth-last which obviously didn’t help his cause, and he probably got there a bit soon after tanking. David [Maxwell] was brilliant though and next year that will be his sole aim.
“I said to him that slower ground will help a little bit as he was nearly flat out most of the way and then he’s got into it really well and he’s the sort of horse that will give David a good spin for the next couple of years. He’s bought him for this race and next year we’ll go down the same sort of route.”