Aintree Friday review and free video replays including Montregard for Harry Cobden and Tom Lacey

Montegard a cosy winner for Cobden

The Tom Lacey-trained Montregard was cut in the antepost market for the valuable Coral Gold Cup after winning under Harry Cobden in the BetMGM Handicap Chase.

The seven-year-old, owned by JP McManus, was sent off the 5/1 second favourite and after travelling powerfully stayed on well to beat King Turgeon (18/1) by a length and a quarter, with 11/1 shot Kap Vert back in third.

Paddy Power make the winner a 10/1 shot for the big Newbury contest later this month.

Cobden said on ITV Racing: "I got off him one day because I wanted my dinner at Ascot and Johnny (Burke) won a hundred grand chase on him - so that was the most expensive dinner I ever had!

"He's a funny horse, I thought he was a 120-horse before and he's just kept improving. He's done it nicely.

"Great training performance, Tom had him spot-on for today and I thought, for the money, the race was not that competitive so... I only did the steering!"

The winning trainer told Racing TV: "The visor has just transformed him, it seems to bring him alive as at home you have to ask him to do everything. But I'm so lucky to have him.

"I could see he was travelling well. He's proving to be slightly more versatile than we perhaps thought he was. There's heaps of races for him, we'll have to go back and speak to Frank (Berry) and AP (McCoy, McManus's racing advisors) and make a plan.

"We put him in the Becher Chase, we've got the Silver Haldon Cup at Ascot, he's got a Coral Gold Cup entry - so there's plenty of options.

"You need horses like that to keep your name active."

Obsession makes no mistake

Dan and Harry Skelton's fine run of form continued at Aintree on Friday as Risky Obsession won the Bet 10 To Get 40 BetMGM Novices' Hurdle (2m 209y).

The bumper winner was sent off the even-money favourite on his first outing over jumps and, having been held up early, made gradual progress to overhaul the front-runners Watery Borren and Aqua Bleu, ultimately beating the latter by a comfortable two and a quarter lengths.

Skelton told Racing TV: "I think you have to hold his hand with the jumping, he's never going to be exuberant. Harry asked for half a jump at the second, half a jump at the third, they weren't in the locker really. So after that, Harry (Skelton, winning rider) has held his hand and he's gone around there quite nicely.

"The complexion of the race suited us, with a hard front-runner, but he's quite talented. We really liked him after he won his bumper at Warwick, then we ran him in totally unacceptable ground - we took a chance and it was quite a big day for him. Post-match it was quite obvious that ground wasn't to his liking.

"We're delighted to have him on the team really and the further you go the better."

Bowen at the double

Trainer Mickey Bowen and champion jockey brother Sean Bowen landed the Download The BetMGM App Novices' Limited Handicap Chase with 5/2 favourite Off The Jury.

There were some sticky jumps on the way around but the seven-year-old stayed on well to beat Below The Radar (4/1) and maintain his unblemished record over fences having already struck at Perth and Cartmel in the spring.

"He stays all day and jumps really well," the winning trainer told ITV Racing. "We couldn't win a maiden hurdle with him, but he's always been a chaser in the making. Shane (Fenelon) our conditional schooled him the other day and he said 'I think this is your (Grand) National horse', so it's brilliant."

Paddy Power and Sky Bet introduced Off The Jury at 100/1 for the Randox Grand National in April 2027.

Sean Bowen doubled up on the day aboard the Warren Greatrex-trained All In You in the Read Meg Nicholls' Blog At betmgm.co.uk Handicap Hurdle.

The strong-travelling 6/4 favourite came to make his challenge at the final flight and quickened up well on the prevailing ground to beat the Skelton-trained French import Lyssenko (4/1) by three and a half lengths, with front-running Bucephalus battling on well to claim third.

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