What A Friend won an incident-packed renewal of the totesport Bowl at Aintree to give part-owner Sir Alex Ferguson some compensation for Manchester United's elimination from the Champions League on Wednesday.
Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander never appeared to be travelling with the same enthusiasm as at Cheltenham and eventually unseated Paddy Brennan at the 14th fence. Nacarat and Carruthers were battling for the lead throughout and turning for home Tony McCoy appeared to hold all the aces on the former.
However, he belted the first fence in the straight and lost all chance. Carruthers then looked the likeliest winner but a sticky leap at the last left the Paul Nicholls-trained What A Friend (5-2) with an advantage he would not relinquish and he won by three and a quarter lengths.
Ferguson said: "I'm very pleased, it's fantastic and I was so excited. It's great. That's the beauty of the racing game. Every fence you're jumping yourself, that's the beauty of it. We knew the form of Carruthers because we've run against him in the past, so I was quite happy, but the other fella (Nacarat) gave me a fright.
"I've had a lot of great winners, but to win a race of this magnitude and class is fantastic. I'm really pleased. He's a young horse and the aim is to go to the Gold Cup next year."
Nicholls added: "That makes me feel better now. We set out for this race today. He's a bit like Big Buck's. When he hits the front he pulls up a little bit. He's always been a bit green, but he's only a baby. He is only seven and he's won two Grade Ones now. The best is yet to come from him next year, we feel."
Winning rider Ruby Walsh said: "He jumped so well and I always had something to aim at. I landed in front after the second-last and I had to stop him, but then Nacarat came after me and then it was Carruthers at the last.
"I didn't know Imperial Commander had gone, but he had been jumping so bad all the way. I'd already given up on him and was only worried about those in front of me."
Nigel Twiston-Davies said of Imperial Commander: "The horse is fine - he didn't jump very well and if you don't jump you don't win. He made an early mistake and his jumping fell apart so we'll send him off for a nice long break now."
Mark Bradstock, trainer of Carruthers, said: "I'm over the moon, he just didn't get the last fence quite right but you can't say whether he would have won, you've got to jump them. I hate finishing second but that's the way it goes."
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