As Barton Snow swept across Merseyside, all trainer Joe O’Shea could see was the sun.
The former rag and bone man, who traces his love of Aintree to sneaking into the racecourse as a child to watch Rag Trade win in 1976, had to take the media’s word for how impressive his horse was, how cooly jockey Henry Crow rode, how easily he won the Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunter Chase (9 April). The glare reflecting from the big screen meant he instead had to turn to his minds’ eye to picture Barton Snow rocketing to the Aintree-Cheltenham hunter chase double. But he knows how good this horse is.
“He’s so fast, he would beat Artemis II to the Moon!” said O’Shea, for whom this was a third Aintree Foxhunters’ success at the Grand National meeting. “If NASA had phoned me I could have got them to the moon and back in nine days, and it’s taking them 10.”
The nine-year-old, who won last month’s Princess Royal Hunters’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and who is now unbeaten in his last eight starts in hunter chases and point-to-points, looked well within his comfort zone as he cruised home seven lengths ahead of runner-up Lets Go Champ. Jockey Henry Crow took a peek over each shoulder after in the run-in – his only perceptible move in the saddle – and Barton Snow lengthened comfortably away to win with ease.
“We don’t know how good he is. He does this at home every day,” said O’Shea, who is recovering from a quadruple heart bypass.
“He’s an amazing horse, and again Henry says he’s done it in third gear. We first realised how good he was at Stratford last year, and he doesn’t just do 37 miles an hour for 100yards – he keeps it up.”
It’s 50 years since O’Shea crept into Aintree to put 10 shillings on Rag Trade. His first Foxhunters with Cousin Pascal came 45 years later (2021), followed by Gracchus De Balme in 2025. It’s the horses, he says, and the love of the game that gets him out of bed in the morning.
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“It’s the thought of the opposition getting up before me and working their horses overtaking me. Getting to the top was easy; it’s staying there that’s hard,” he told H&H. “That’s what gets me out of bed. And having horses like him, Gracchus De Balme, and an unbelievable novice in Boley Bob, who is by the same stallion, Snow Sky, and who hasn’t been beaten yet.”
Crow, a 25-year-old Shropshire farmer, who has been in the saddle for all three of Barton Snow’s hunter chase triumphs this season, gave all the credit to the horse and to O’Shea.
“I’m the first Crow to be on this roll of honour, but all the praise should go to Joe – I feel very grateful he put me on. It’s all down to him. He gave me my very first ride and my very first winner and without him, I wouldn’t be here today,” he said.
Gold Cup runner-up shines at Aintree
Gold Cup runner-up Jango Baie, trained by Nicky Henderson, bounced out of Cheltenham to win the Grade One Racing Welfare Bowl.
“I think he’s put to bed that stat that they go to the Gold Cup and then don’t come here,” said jockey Nico de Boinville, who himself bounced back after parting company from favourite Lulamba in the William Hill Manifesto Novices’ Chase half-an-hour earlier.
“It’s a funny old game and it certainly keeps you meek and humble. It will certainly put manners on you,” said de Boinville, reflecting on his swing in fortunes in the space of two races. “You just have to look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘Come on, lad. Chin up, let’s go again.”
He added: “My stomach was on the floor going into the race after Lulamba. [Luhlamba] was travelling really well and I thought he jumped the fence cleanly but suddenly he pecked on landing. His back-end must have overtaken the front and he’s gone down on his knees and then come back up and pushed me out of the way. It happens a lot. It’s gravity, and I wished I was on the moon! It was the right trip, and he’ll be a year older next year.”
Henderson added that the King George and the Gold Cup will be the likely targets for Jango Baie again next season.
“Coming here was the only option after the Gold Cup. We had the extra week this year; it’s always hard,” he said. “Both horses – him and Lulamba – came here great. What happened with Lulamba – he was fresh as paint and in great shape, well done everyone at home – but it was tough for Nico for that to happen and to come to another Grade One and have to pick yourself up, that’s testament to a proper Grade One jockey.”
‘I’d imagine she’s going to go chasing’
Brighterdaysahead sealed a double of Grade Ones on day one for trainer Gordon Elliott and jockey Jack Kennedy in a gripping William Hill Aintree Hurdle, which featured the horses who finished second to fifth in the 2026 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham last month.
“This is probably her trip and she was awesome. I was nervous but it was kind of easy to watch and Jack was brilliant on her. It’s great for everyone at Gigginstown who have been massive supporters of mine, through thick and thin,” said Elliott.
“She’s a good mare and that’s why she wins over two miles, but I think two and a half is probably her trip. I’d imagine she’s going to go chasing. She was supposed to go this year but she pulled a muscle and that’s why she didn’t.
“She hasn’t won at Cheltenham but she ran a great race there this year.”
The pair also teamed up to win the opener with Mange Tout.
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
