Jango Baie’s winning owner celebrates emotional Arkle Chase success
Tony Barney was reduced to tears after Jango Baie left it late to provide the owner with an emotional victory in the Arkle.
Barney, who also owns Grade 2 winner Jingko Blue under his Countrywide Park Homes banner, was almost lost for words as the Nicky Henderson-trained six-year-old came out of nowhere to deny Only By Night and Majborough, who were separated by a short head.
Jango Baie’s second Grade 1 victory had added poignancy, as he was purchased on the same day Barney’s son James was killed in a car accident.
“My son’s looking down on me, that’s for sure,” he said. “For me it means a lot because I bought the horse on the day my son got killed. I bought him at the auction. My son’s name is James Barney, and the horse, Jango Baie, has the same initials. James Bowen rode him at Aintree. It’s amazing; my phone won’t stop ringing now.”
Jango Baie made up plenty of ground on the run to the line, and Barney added: “He’s an amazing horse who wasn’t really running over his ideal distance. He needed two and a half miles, but credit to Nico [de Boinville] and the team. It’s phenomenal – it’s amazing where he came from at the back.”
Festival-winning jockey Jerry McGrath played a leading role in securing Jango Baie for £170,000 in February 2023, and the Arkle winner has now taken his total winnings past £180,000 after overcoming a slow start to power home under Nico de Boinville.
McGrath said: “After about three fences I nearly turned around and walked away, but all credit goes to the horse and the team. It was a little bit similar to when Champ won the RSA Chase a few years ago, as he came from the clouds.
“Nico said he couldn’t go the gallop, and after two fences he was in trouble and couldn’t go the pace. It’s why Nico is brilliant. A lot of other jockeys would’ve gone after him sooner and got him revved, but he just sat and suffered. He took the pain, and the horse came home the strongest.
“He’s a proper stayer, loves the track, and he’s just a good horse. I don’t think he’ll ever run over that trip again, but he’s won an Arkle, so it doesn’t matter.”
Jango Baie was not first choice for the race from Seven Barrows, but his participation was confirmed after ante-post favourite Sir Gino was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign.
McGrath said: “We’d have loved it if Sir Gino was here, but the minute he was ruled out, we had this lad ready. He wasn’t supplemented, so he was always in contention, as he was never going to go three miles.
“The alternative was to miss Cheltenham and go to Aintree for two and a half. It’s typical Nicky Henderson; he’s rolled the dice and it’s come up trumps. It’s brilliant to get off the mark so early in the festival.”
It was a landmark victory for De Boinville, with Jango Baie providing him with his 50th Grade 1 win and 17th success at the festival.
De Boinville said: “I’m over the moon. The majority of them have been courtesy of the guvnor and Seven Barrows, so I’m delighted to do it for him. We’ve still got plenty more to go.”
