Haydock review and free video replays on William Hill Half A Mill Grand National Trial Handicap Chase day

Grand victory in National Trial

Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith landed the William Hill Half A Mill Grand National Trial Handicap Chase with a resurgent Grand Geste at Haydock on Saturday.

The seven-year-old was sent off 5/2 favourite for the Great Yorkshire Chase at Doncaster last time but fluffed his lines when pulled up before the 12th fence.

Prior to that he was impressive in the Tommy Whittle Chase at this venue and he enjoyed his return to Haydock with a one-and-three-quarter-length victory at odds of 13/2 under Danny McMenamin.

The grey jumped well as he sat just off the pace and he moved into contention in the home straight, having enough in reserve to see off the late challenge of a rallying Top Of The Bill (22/1).

Myretown was sent off 3/1 favourite but he again disappointed backers with a weak finishing effort and he was pulled up after leading the field into the final few furlongs.

Deafening Silence had taken the lead under Harry Skelton but he was run out of third on the line by Neo King (16/1).

Paddy Power went 16/1 from 33s about the winner for the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Parkinson said: “It is good to get him back like that. We just had to put a line through Doncaster (when he was pulled-up in the Great Yorkshire Chase last month) – it just wasn’t his place, and they went too quick for him.

“He is not a quick horse, and he showed today that he is an out-and-out stayer. To do that today as a novice is special. From the start he has always been a solid jumper and then you have to go and be good enough. He has done himself proud.I think we have to think about the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham for him now. He would need soft ground, but we have definitely got to think about it.

“He is a brilliant jumper and possibly one for the Grand National in the future. He is not high enough to get in this year and as a novice it probably wouldn’t be the right thing either. I am pleased for the owners (The Acre Bottomers) after the disappointment of Doncaster. It’s nice for us as well as we’ve had a bit of a quiet patch and it’s nice to get back on the board.”

Lud'or too good in Rendlesham

The well-backed Lud'or ran out an easy winner of the Grade 2 ZYN Rendlesham Hurdle earlier on the card.

With Kabral Du Mathan taken out Lud'or was sent off the 11/8 favourite and he justified the faith with an impressive performance under Gavin Sheehan.

Beauport took them along in his customary front-running role with Henri The Second in close attendance, but Lud'or was always travelling smoothly in the slipstream of the leading pair.

When Beauport cracked with two to go Henri The Second had the lead but Lud'or loomed up on his outside and he proved too strong with his late challenge.

Pushed out to win by four lengths, Paddy Power cut the winner to 20/1 from 25/1 in their NRNB for the race formerly known as the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival.

Winning trainer Symonds said: “We had the choice today of the Pertemps Qualifier and this race. We felt at Windsor that we learned a lot about him – we dropped him in whereas before we had been quite handy with him. His jumping is getting much more accurate – he could be a bit French at his hurdles and kick them out the way whereas now he is using himself much better.

“Caoilin Quinn usually rides him but he’s at Ascot today. I am thrilled for Gavin and sometimes we learn a new dynamic with a different jockey on. Gavin felt every post was a winning one and the further he went, the better he got.

“Chasing is what I am most excited about. He looked very well in Bangor on what he has done today. I spoke to the handicapper after to no avail, but it looks the right decision now. He wasn’t the highest rated horse in the race today by any means but it’s just nice to have a horse who has not put a foot wrong for us.

“We could potentially look at the Liverpool Hurdle for him, but we’ll just see what the ground is. Soft ground is key really.

“He is learning to race more professionally. You are a long time out in front, so we just wanted to get him to drop in and understand that’s how you save your gas for this sort of trip. It is great he showed that today.”

Dalston has the Prestige

Dalston Lad (5/2 favourite) ran out an easy winner of the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices' Hurdle for Dan Skelton.

The six-year-old was landing a hat-trick after previous wins at Sedgefield and Haydock and he improved again up in grade as he stormed clear in the straight by four lengths under Harry Skelton.

Ubatuba made good late gains to take second with Tashkhan third.

Paddy Power halved the winner in price to 20/1 from 40s for the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Dan Skelton said: "After he won here the last day, I thought don’t make it complicated - just come back here. He has improved again. At the start of the year he was struggling with ulcers. We fancied him first time out at Cheltenham, but that day he never picked up the bridle basically.

“But that was good today. He is progressive and was a good bumper horse last year. He is now a good hurdler this year and I am happy. He’d handle softer ground and if it’s good to soft at Aintree, hopefully he’ll take his chance. He is entered at Cheltenham, but that will come too quick and we have Moneygarrow for that race.

“When horses stay a trip like that, they get better as time goes by and they learn to race the trip more. Horses with stamina at his age become real stamina horses for the future – if you get three miles now, you’ll get nearly four miles in the distance."

Manlaga is the Victor

Manlaga pounced late under a cool Brian Hughes ride to land the Richard Howard 80th Birthday Celebration Victor Ludorum Juvenile Hurdle for trainer Nicky Henderson and owner JP McManus.

The four-year-old filly was sent off the 7/4 second-favourite behind Paul Nicholls' Pourquoi Pas Papa who cut out much of the running under Freddie Gingell who had old rival Macktoad for company throughout.

Gary Moore had won this race in three of the last four years but his Macktoad wilted in the straight under Sean Bowen leaving Pourquoi Pas Papa to try and fend off the attentions of Manlaga.

He couldn't, with Hughes squeezing the filly into a challenging position at the last and she sprinted away from the runner-up on the run-in to win by two-and-a-quarter lengths.

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