Griffin's Maggio scores at Kelso Maggio, trained in County Dublin by Patrick Griffin but a regular visitor to Britain, sprang a minor surprise in the Best Odds Guaranteed At totepool.com Premier Chase at Kelso. Sue Smith's Mr Moonshine was sent off favourite and was supposed to enhance his Grand National claims but he was made to look decidedly one-paced by Maggio, an 8-1 chance. Winning at the track for the fourth time, the nine-year-old was spring-heeled throughout and after setting the pace with Mr Moonshine, he gradually pulled clear in the last half-mile. Brian Hughes fired him at the final two fences and Maggio responded, with Mr Moonshine plugging on one-paced to be beaten four and a half lengths. Harry Fry's Opening Batsman was once again disappointing. Griffin's son James told Racing UK: "That's our biggest win since dad started back as a trainer - we won a Thyestes a few years ago. "He's our stable star and this means an awful lot to us, it's very satisfying. "He beat Green Flag by 18 lengths over hurdles last year and the form was in the book over fences as well. "If we ran him in the Gold Cup he'd finish in the first six and if we ran him in a handicap he'd finish in the first seven, he's that sort of horse. "We'll stay away from Cheltenham and may go to Aintree, but this was his Gold Cup today."
