Livelovelaugh won the Randox Topham Handicap Steele Chase on Friday after a dominate display. It was a superb and stylish performance by Patrick Mullins and Livelovelaugh who dominated from the front and jumped impeccably over the National fences.
The horse, trained by Irishman Willie Mullins, raced clear in the final stages after being challenged at the last by Pink Eyed Pedro before storming away to win. He kicked again going to The Elbow and was in complete control from that point.
“He jumped spectacularly today,” said Patrick Mullins after the race. “David Mullins got a great spin off him in the Grand National a couple of years ago and I just didn’t want to take him away – he was enjoying himself so much.
“When I got to the Melling Road I had a look behind and got a fright how far clear we were. I had no idea, because I couldn’t hear anything.
11th in the 2019 Grand National, Livelovelaugh shows his liking for the @AintreeRaces fences with a front-running success for Patrick & @WillieMullinsNH
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“It was a fantastic performance. It’s indescribable (to ride a winner over those fences). I feel very sorry for anyone who can’t experience it and I feel so lucky to have experienced it.
“As a kid you’re always watching and there is always a horse here every year that does that. You think ‘what must that feel like’. I always wanted to win one race over there fences before I retired as my father won the Foxhunters’, so this kind of puts us level.”
The veteran, at 11-years-old, had won just once from eighteen starts over fences before Friday but put in a masterful performance here.
Pink Eyed Pedro was second while Senior Citizen, who ran well in similar conditions at Newbury, came third. Snugsborough Hall was fourth and Sir Jack Yeats claimed fifth.
