Knowhere Victorious in Old Roan
The Aintree Racecourse was a hive of activity on Sunday, the 26th of October, as hundreds of spectators filled the racecourse in support of the racing action. One of the anticipated events for the day, was the Old Roan Chase that is run over a distance of two miles and four furlongs and is for five year old horses and older. The Mildmay Course at the Aintree Racecourse was host to the event and a spectacular lineup of contenders was ready for action. But it was the underdog of the horse racing field, Knowhere, that stunned spectators as he charged towards the finish line to take the victory.
Amongst the spectacular field of horses, a few stood out as race favorites, such as the Alan King trained Voy Por Ustedes, Oslot (trained by Paul Nicholls), Peter Bowen’s Snoopy Loopy and Exotic Dancer who has been performing well under the guidance of Jonjo O’Neill. Because of Knowhere being a little disappointing in his last two starts, not many punters believed that the ten year old could bring any spark to the Old Roan Chase, but they were mistaken, as Knowhere needed little encouragement from his jockey, to outperform his fellow competitors.
Oslot did surge into the lead for a while, but as Nicholls feared, the magnificent six year old, just could not maintain the pace. As the last hurdle came into view, it was a battle between Exotic Dancer and Knowhere, but Exotic Dancer just could not find the answer to Knowhere’s determination and strength. Knowhere managed to keep Exotic Dancer at bay, to win the 2008 Old Roan Chase. After the race, jockey Paddy Brennan was quoted as saying: “I knew if it was a war, I’d win – I was half a length down at the last but I didn’t have to hit him. He is a hell of a horse and has been a brilliant servant to the yard.”
It seems that the next race for Knowhere will be the Hennessy, which will take place on 29 November 2008. Jonjo O’Neill also expressed his satisfaction with Exotic Dancer, confirming that they too will be looking towards the Hennessy. Seems these two talented horses will face-off again in November.
