Disappointment for Seahouses trainer Adam Nicol as Minella Study finishes eighth in Aintree opener
Minella Study came eighth in the first race of this year’s Grand National Festival at Aintree.
It was disappointment for Seahouses race-horse trainer Adam Nicol on Thursday afternoon, with Minella Study finishing well off the pace in the opening race of this year’s Grand National Festival at Aintree.
Coming off the back of an impressive run in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham last month, Nicol had hoped that his bay gelding could shine again in the Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle, but a competitive field proved too much for jockey Ryan Mania, who could only guide his mount to eighth.
Instead, the race was won by the Gordon Elliott-trained Mange Tout, who came in at 5/1, with 9/4 favourite Selma De Vary in second, and Indian River third. Behind that trio, Wolf Rayet led the well-fancied Maestro Conti in fourth and fifth respectively, ahead of sixth-placed Winston Junior, seventh-placed Ammes, and Minella Study - who is worked by Nicol on Bamburgh beach - down in eighth.