Aintree review and free video replays on Grand Sefton Chase day

Harry makes their day

Colonel Harry (6/1) defied 11-12 to win the William Hill Grand Sefton Handicap Chase for Jamie Snowden, Gavin Sheehan and the GD Partnership.

Mahons Glory gave Lee Edwards a great spin over the famous Grand National fences and was still in there pitching as the field approached the eighteenth and final fence in the two mile five furlong contest but there were challengers on all sides.

Colonel Harry had been one of the last to play his hand but he hit the front on the run to The Elbow and opened up a lead by a couple of lengths, an advantage he maintained to the line.

Gaboriot came through for second, edging out the always prominent Excello by a head; Mahons Glory held on for a gallant fourth.

Sheehan told Racing TV: "I loved it. He was into the boards at the first couple, I forced him to make a mistake. At Becher's I was on a long one and he wasn't really going forward and I said 'go on' and he put down, missed the next, came up at the Canal Turn and from there he started to come alive.

"Off the bridle from three out, just rowing on him, switched him on the outer and going to two out I thought I'm in with a chance; jumped the last, missed it, I still thought I had a chance but to be fair I'd say that's just his class coming through.

"He's always been good [at jumping] but he's a hard horse to work out. Rode him last year in the Colin Parker and he didn't pick up the bridle for the first couple of fences, ran keen with me, jumped left and got touched off that day and the next day he ran keen away with me the whole race.

"It's great to see him back, brilliant owners and a fantastic team effort."

Colonel Harry was having his first start since New Year's Day after suffering an injury.

"He took a fall at Cheltenham on New Year's Day and he didn't have an open wound but he came back and got a horrid infection in the back leg," Snowden explained.

"He was in the vets for a couple of weeks and had a couple of operations, he wasn't reacting to any antibiotics and it just got worse and worse and worse; it was touch and go so a huge credit to the whole team to get him back.

"I was worried it wasn't going to be soft enough, he's a horse that loves proper soft ground, but thankfully we got away with it.

"The plan would be to go to Cheltenham in December. I've always thought that he would want it [a trip] and then we tried it in the Hennessy but he over-raced and didn't quite get home, he ran a great race until two out and then folded; never say never he won't get the trip but at the moment, two and a half miles and soft ground is where we are."

Sweet sixteen for Skelton

Dan Skelton made it sixteen winners in the last fortnight when Only Way Is Up (7/2) took the opening EBF National Hunt Novices' Hurdle under brother Harry.

The two and a half mile contest has been won by some fair types in recent years and On Deadly Ground was well backed to make it three wins in seven renewals for the Twiston-Davies stable but the half-brother to Potters Charm was found wanting in the straight on his return from a lengthy absence as Only Way Is Up took over the running, going on to score by four lengths.

The winning trainer said: "Last year he was not well at all for whatever reason, we couldn't ever get him right. We bought him out of a point-to-point and really liked him and everything he did but he just got sick and ran ordinary.

"A bit of time out in the field has done him the world of good. I didn't necessarily think he'd win today but he was always going to run a lot better than his bumper. We loved him in his point-to-point and hopefully he's got a big future."

The Skelton brothers completed a double on the card when Hidden History (6/4 favourite) showed a good attitude to get the better of the tenacious Theatre Man in the novices' handicap chase.

Dan Skelton commented: “It’s quite remarkable really. I don’t know why – it felt like they were about to turn the corner, but I don’t know why they have. I suppose you get further into the year and a bit more rain et cetera, they start doing it.

“I didn’t think Hidden History would win and I think he will still improve. I thought that before the race and I’m not going to change my opinion.

“Softer ground will suit him going forward. We’ll perhaps give him six weeks now and won’t rush him back. I think he’d stay any trip. The winner of this race last year (Haiti Couleurs) went on to win the National Hunt Chase, so maybe that’s pre-destined target.”

Pauling's Mambo impresses

Fingal Bay was the last winner of the Pertemps Final to have won a qualifier on the way but that won't worry connections of Impose Toi (5/2 favourite) who showed his rivals a clean pair of heels in the closing stages of a contest where a number of hurdles were omitted due to the low sun.

Second in the Coral Cup last March, Impose Toi was given a patient ride by Nico de Boinville who waited until the field straightened up after slaloming past the last two flights before unleashing his challenge; Impose Toi quickened well to win by three and a quarter lengths from Chasing Fire.

Successful trainer Nicky Henderson said: “He is funny because he is so, so lazy at home. I can’t work him with anything because he just doesn’t do it – I’m surprised he gets himself fit – you would give sixpence for him!

“He didn’t enjoy fences and doesn’t enjoy working at home but comes to the races and thinks it’s absolutely wonderful. To be fair, at the back end of last season, he was second at Cheltenham, fourth here and second at Punchestown – he ran at all three festivals, which you can do with him because he might as well do it on the racecourse. He had a fantastic year.

“The idea would be go to the Pertemps Final but he is high enough [in the handicap] as it is. We’ll have to see what the handicapper does.”

Mambonumberfive (7/2) might have been value for more than the winning margin in the two mile handicap chase.

A well regarded - and Grade 2 winning - juvenile hurdler whose trainer Ben Pauling always felt would make up into a better chaser, Mambonumberfive obliged at the first time of asking over the larger obstacles.

Ben Jones stalked the pace and moved easily through to take up the running going to the last but having hit the front the four-year-old appeared to tie up, allowing his rivals to close to within three-quarters of a length and a nose.

Pauling said: "He's a big horse, he's a gross horse, and you wouldn't ever get enough work into him at home.

"Benny was good and cute on him up the home straight, didn't want to get their too soon. It's interesting, he said ideally you'd want soft or heavy ground for him over two and he might be better over two and a half in time.

"He's not a lot of miles on the clock and I also think we're still working him out. I think we're now starting to see what he is and what he could be, he's got a lot of potential and a lot of ability and his brain is much better this year; he was very buzzy last year, first time at Cheltenham he basically bolted for a circuit and then pulled up.

"It was key to get him into a rhythm, he jumps very, very well and being a four-year-old with that allowance is quite an attractive proposition. He's a big horse who has taken all this time to mature into himself; he is, hopefully, a nice one."

Bubble Dubi (16/1) defied an even longer absence than Colonel Harry in the feature when running right away with the two mile handicap hurdle.

The Stuart Edmunds-trained gelding had been on the sidelines for 623 days but showed no signs of ring-rustiness in winning by 11 lengths under Charlie Hammond.

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