Fox Norton impressive winner of Melling Chase

 JLT Melling Chase - 1525 Aintree result

1st Fox Norton 4/1
2nd Sub Lieutenant 10/3 fav
3rd Traffic Fluide 14/1

Report:

Robbie Power, Colin Tizzard and owners Ann and Alan Potts completed a Grade One Aintree double as Fox Norton ran out a brilliant winner of the JLT Melling Chase.

The trio sprang a 16/1 surprise with Pingshou earlier on the card and while this was a more expected victory, the manner of it was very taking.

The seven-year-old, second in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham, was always travelling well as Sub Lieutenant looked to pile on the pressure from the front.

He broke everything bar the winner who swept past after the second last and a superb leap at the final fence sent him on the way to a six-length success.

Traffic Fluide made rapid progress from the rear of the field to deny Kylemore Lough for third.

Reaction:

Robbie Power: "It's fantastic, it's a pleasure to be riding horses like this. He ran a cracker in the Champion Chase and was unlucky.

"When I schooled him at Colin's last week I had no doubt two and a half miles would play to his strengths and he's travelled everywhere, jumped from fence to fence. He was never in any danger and running down to the last he met it well.

"He's a very classy horse and he could well be a King George horse, he could be as good over further, he's a very relaxed horse and has a great cruising speed. If we got nice ground that could be the race for him."

Colin Tizzard: "It's lovely when this happens, especially after what it was like at Cheltenham, that was hard work.

"This boy could have won the Champion Chase, there wasn't much in it and he's got better with the trip, I think.

"It took all of two miles last year for him to get into third in the Arkle. He's not very fast at home when you think he would be but I think he'll make up into a King George horse.

"That's seven Grade Ones this season which is lovely. We had a good time early in the season and then we had to go through a bit of pain, but that's all gone now."

Henry de Bromhead (trainer Sub Lieutenant): "I'm delighted. It was a super run, he was just beaten by a better horse on the day. He might go to Punchestown. He is in both the two and three-mile races. We'll see."

Gary Moore (trainer Traffic Fluide): "He's run a good race. All he's done is stay. I think I've got it completely wrong. He needs stepping up in trip.

"He's just coming to himself now. He hasn't had much racing in two years so he's just getting back into the swing of things and each run is getting better.

"I did put him in the two-mile race at Punchestown but that looks a wasted entry. We'll have to go back and rethink. I'll have to see if there's anything for him at Sandown."