Grand National 2024 – Il Etait Temps opens Aintree with victory

Il Etait Temps (10-11 favourite) got Willie Mullins' off to a flyer with victory in the opener, the Close Brothers Manifesto Novices’ Chase, on day one of the 2024 Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse.

The six-year-old – who had been third in the Arkle Chase at last month's Cheltenham Festival – was much better stepped back up to 2m4f and landed victory in the Grade One contest, under Paul Townend at Aintree. Settled in the rear Il Etait Temps, who had won the Irish Arkle over the minium distance in February, wasn't foot perfect early on. But Townend coaxed him into the race and on the turn for home was travelling supremely well just off the lead set by Paul Nicholls' Ginny Destiny (4-1). The grey moved through take over the lead between the final two fences and powered clear to score by nine lengths from Ginny's Destiny. Dan Skelton's Grey Dawning, sent off the 11-10 favourite on the back of his victory in the Turners Novices' Chase at Cheltenham last month, was never really travelling but plugged on to be a head back in third.

READ MORE: Full list of final 34 runners for the 2024 Grand National

But as at Cheltenham it was Mullins back in the winner's enclosure. to give him just over £50,000 towards what seemed an unlikely tilt at the British Jumps trainers' championship.

READ MORE: Vanillier for victory in the Grand National

Mullins said: "That was nice and I loved the manner he did it in. I was really taken with how he walked around the parade ring beforehand, I haven't seen him as loose for a while, and I just thought if he could run like he walked, he was going to run a big race. When he jumped off at the start, I think for the first circuit I was very worried, he just seemed very behind himself – I don't think he's going to need his hood in future. But he warmed to his task and jumped well later in the race and just kept galloping.

"I think going out in trip is more important than track. He did win over two miles, but his performance today over two and a half was fantastic. At this end of the season, horses are tired and he just took a bit of time to warm up, but I'm happy that he's going to improve as he goes further out in trip and gets older. He's a fine horse, he's not your big, 16.3 (hands) chaser, but he turns up for every fight and is made of iron. He turns up and there's never an issue with him."

Skelton currently leads the race for the trainers' championship, with Nicholls in second and Mullins not far back in third. On the title race, Mullins added: "I'd imagine every little helps, but they'll be hoping they can just keep ahead and then that we don't win the National probably. A lot of our thing depends on how we do in the National and I suppose it's the same with them. That was one I didn't expect there, so that was nice – hopefully the rest of them can run like that. If we don't win the National, it's going to be very, very tough. We're here having the sport and we'll see what happens."

READ MORE: Pinstickers' guide to all 34 Grand National runners

Nicholls felt both Ginny's Destiny and Grey Dawning were feeling the effects of Cheltenham. He said: "He ran really well, I've said all along there's nothing between Ginny's Destiny and Grey Dawning and they both ran their races. Say no more! Harry said there's a really big race in him and considering he had a very hard race at Cheltenham, he's bounced back really well. He looked good, jumped well but as Harry Skelton said, tired legs probably beat the pair of them as they've run really good races.

"I don't know what route we'll go down next year. He will get three miles but while Dan's horse looks a Gold Cup type trip-wise, I'm not sure ours is because he has plenty of boot. What he has done is gone from lowly handicaps to Grade Ones and if we'd have jumped the second last at Cheltenham, it would have been interesting. There's nothing between those two, they are good, solid, proper horses."

Skelton added: "Harry lost an iron but it is irrelevant to the outcome. Obviously Cheltenham has taken the gloss off him, though it makes no difference to his season as he was ready to run and ran creditably. Next season he will start over two and a half miles then graduate to three."

Sir Gino (11-10 favourite) – in the yellow and back-squared colours of owner Marie Donnelly – gave the Nicky Henderson stable a huge boost with victory in the Grade One Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle.

The talented juvenile won both his starts, including an impressive victory at Cheltenham in January, and was a warm favourite for the JCB Triumph Hurdle at last month's Festival. But like most in his stable he was taken out of the meeting with a cloud hanging over Seven Barrows due to illness and poor form. But with Willie Mullins' Triumph Hurdle hero Marlborough not lining up, Sir Gino continued his progress with victory under Nico De Boinville. In a muddling race Sir Gino and Mullins' Cheltenham runner-up Kargese (7-4) were sat off the pace set by the Paul Nicholls-trained unbeaten Kalif Du Berlais. Both horses moved through on the turn for home with Kargese initially leading. But coming over the final flight Sir Gino took over and went on to score by three-and-a-quarter-lengths from Kargese.

A relieved Henderson said: “It was a messy sort of a race and they were playing cat and mouse a bit, but on the other hand it was job done. He galloped all the way to the line in what was a messy race as it was stop start, and he was a bit untidy up the straight. I was watching the speed thing and it was varying dramatically as it was slowed down then quickened up. Paul’s (Townend) horse (Kargese) was pulling quite hard, and we got a bit revved up, but he has done what he has had to do.

"He is very, very good, and hopefully he has got a long way to go. Funnily enough I was confident he would pick the filly up. I just got the feeling he was coming there. It would have to be the plan to stick to hurdles. We are not going to be discussing that now. I know where one person is meant to be going. Constitution Hill is a two-mile hurdler, and this is what he is, so they might get to know each other.

“All of those years I’ve been training there have been plenty of downs before the ups and we all know what it is like. Every trainer in the world knows what it is like as they have been through these sorts of things. Unfortunately, ours became rather more public than necessary because we literally bumped into Cheltenham. You have got him sat at home watching the Triumph Hurdle thinking arrgh.

“Of course, things go through your mind, and we knew what we were walking into. There is a long way to go as one swallow doesn’t make a summer as they say. “It is a relief to everybody as they have been brilliant, and I’m talking about the people as much as the horses. It has been a long old winter of slaving away in foul weather to get them ready for Cheltenham if you like, and when it doesn’t happen it is horrible for all of us. They have worn this battle well with all of us and thank you goes to them. “The good thing about bad days is you hope there is going to be some light at the end of the tunnel.”

Mullins, trainer of the runner-up Kargese, said: Willie Mullins: “Very good run. The winner is a tremendous horse, and it is great to see Nicky [Henderson]’s horses back in form, and great for Nicky and for Joe and Marie Donnelly (owners). She’s probably just her own worst enemy. She has to learn to race – she’s too keen. She’ll mature, I hope, and make it easier for Paul to ride her. She looks a very good filly for next season. I think she’ll go to Punchestown – it’s only up the road from us! She won’t need any galloping between now and then, that’s for sure. We’ll freshen her up and go there, all being well.”

BUY NOW: The ultimate guide to the Grand National 2024 on sale now

Get Grand National updates straight to your phone by joining our new WhatsApp community