Pep2 has Paul Nicholls to thank as team collects first prize in Tote Ten to Follow after Caldwell Potter’s Mildmay strike

The Aintree action proved decisive in determining the destination of the £54,000 first prize in the Tote Ten to Follow jumps competition but it was results across the meeting’s three days that shaped the outcome rather than the Grand National victory of Nick Rockett.

First prize goes to the team of Pep2, whose Merseyside successes with Jonbon, Lossiemouth, Gaelic Warrior and, most significantly, Caldwell Potter, proved enough to hold off the squad of Nom De Plume by 870.73 points to 866.53.

The runner-up matched Pep2’s scoring with all except Caldwell Potter – one of three Paul Nicholls-trained winners at Aintree – who landed Friday’s Mildmay Novices’ Chase, earning 30.65 points there and 73.34 in all, and that proved crucial to the competition's outcome.

Flying 185 places up the rankings to join the prize-winners in fifth place came Hallgalleys Horses, and rising 342 places into seventh came The Last Dance, both turbo charged by the Grand National success of Nick Rockett, who contributed 82.90 points for the 0.3% of teams with the foresight to include him.

With points accrued from earlier victories in the Thyestes Chase and Bobbyjo Chase, that put the National winner on 130.74 points and into second place among the top points-scoring horses in the competition, relegating Galopin Des Champs to third.

Heading that list, as he has almost throughout thanks to success on the opening weekend in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham, is Jonbon, who sealed his season neatly with 51.67 points in the Melling Chase. 

Jonbon was also the most picked horse in the competition, with more than 75% of teams having him on board. In contrast to his consistent points-scoring, the second most popular pick, stablemate Constitution Hill, again fluffed his lines at Aintree and so the 71.9% of teams who had him on board received just 49.04 points.

The winning squad did not gain that benefit, though, having added the Nicky Henderson-trained 2023 Champion Hurdle winner in the pre-Cheltenham transfer window and so after his two successes this season.

FINAL STANDINGS

TOP SCORING HORSES
1 Jonbon 75.9% of teams 165.65 points
2 Nick Rockett 0.3% 130.74
3 Galopin Des Champs 68.3% 120.06
4 Lecky Watson 0.6% 112.95
5 Golden Ace 2% 112.60
6 Lossiemouth 51.2% 108.10
7 Fact To File 51.2% 99.10
8 Solness 1.6% 95.00
9 Croke Park 0.8% 81.90
10 Handstands 0.4% 77.54

TOP TEAMS
1 Pep2 870.73 points
2 Nom De Plume 866.53
3 Sandford Flyer Aces 863.71
4 Matbec Racing 854.51
5 Hallgalleys Horses 853.89
6 Robert Winchcole >11 66 853.70
7 The Last Dance 8 840.80
8 Double Trees 839.08
9 MyDogSusie 43 837.80
10 Robert Winchcole-11 45 833.72

WINNER'S STABLE
Jonbon 165.65 points
Galopin Des Champs 120.06
Lossiemouth 108.10
Fact To File 99.10
Caldwell Potter 73.34
Bob Olinger 61.10
Gaelic Warrior 57.95
Majborough 40.93
Ballyburn 39.93
Constitution Hill 0.00

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