Pierrot Lunaire met with a shock defeat in the intercasino.co.uk Four Year Old Hurdle at Aintree.

A brilliant winner at the big spring meeting here, he was sent-off an odds-on favourite but was booked for second when taking a tired fall at the last.

This left 5/2 winner Squadron clear and he stayed on strongly to register an 18 lengths win over Fushe Jo.

Squadron was paying a big compliment to leading Champion Hurdle fancy Crack Away Jack who beat him at Chepstow last time.

"We bumped into a very good horse at Chepstow and I felt my only chance of beating Paul's horse today was fitness," said winning trainer Alan King.

"I might put Squadron in the Greatwood as he's a nice, progressive horse."

Sky Bet reacted by cutting Crack Away Jack to 6s (from 8s) for the Champion Hurdle while Squadron was introduced into the market at 33/1.