Review and free video replays from Friday at the Grand National Meeting at Aintree

They knew!

Inothewayurthinkin (6/4 favourite) followed up his Cheltenham Festival success in the Huyton Asphalt Franny Blennerhassett Memorial Mildmay Novices' Chase.

Gavin Cromwell's charge landed a monster gamble in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup last month and was again well supported on this step up to Grade 1 company.

Racing in fifth for much of the extended three mile contest, Inothewayurthinkin was relegated to last after the cross fence but the field were tightly grouped turning into the straight. The front-running Broadway Boy was the first to crack but Chianti Classico, winner of the Ultima at Prestbury Park, remained on the front end where he was challenged by Heart Wood.

The patiently ridden Giovinco tried to close on the outside but further out, Inothewayurthinkin began to get into his stride and the six-year-old hit the front going to the last and stayed on strongly for Mark Walsh, running out a four length winner.

Iroko, on his just his third chase start, took second.

Sadly Giovinco suffered a fatal injury in a heavy fall at the final fence.

Cromwell said: "I watched it live and I'd like to see it again. I haven't spoken to Mark yet but his jumping definitely left a bit to be desired but he clearly has a big engine; he looked to have done plenty wrong but still won which is always nice to see.

"I'd say that's it for this season. He's up into big boy company next year and we'll see how that goes but he's going to have to brush up on his jumping but he could do."

Walsh added: "We've gone a proper gallop the whole way. Heading out to the final circuit Sam and David Bass pressed on again and were stretching the field. I was happy enough with where I was but I made a mistake at the third last and also the second last but luckily I had a good enough horse to get me out of trouble.

"I pulled out going to the second last and he just left his hind legs in there a little bit, didn't land running but he picked up well, good run down to the last and once I got ahead going to the last he wasn't for passing."

Of Iroko, joint-trainer Oliver Greenall said: “As a novice to get the experience into him after his setback was crucial and to get two runs in at this time of year has been vital, we were worried we would lose the season at one point. To finish second in a Grade One is pleasing, he just gallops, we were always worried that round here would be too sharp for him – and I think we’ve probably bumped into one.

“He just stays. He jumps so well, even when he’s flat out. I don’t know if he’ll run again, that’s only his third run but it was tacky ground today and he’s tired, he wasn’t tired after Cheltenham at all.

“I think we could look at the Hennessy (Coral Gold Cup) next season, and he could go to Punchestown, we’ll see.”

Heart Wood was third for Henry de Bromhead, who said: “He ran really well. His effort might have petered out at the end, but he jumped brilliantly. He’s got a bit of class and he might drop back in trip, but I think that’s it for the season, we’re in no rush.”

Supreme domination

Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle second and third - Mystical Power (11/10 favourite) and Firefox - dominated the TrustATrader Top Novices' Hurdle, pulling clear of the remainder to fill the first two places.

A lot of the interest in an enticing Grade 1 had evaporated once Dysart Enos and Golden Ace were taken out on the morning of the race but it still produced an exciting finish as the Cheltenham Festival form was upheld.

Lookaway made the running but the big two loomed large in his wingmirrors in the straight with their contrasting styles making for interesting viewing. Mystical Power glides through his races whereas Firefox needs to be kept up to his work when the tempo quickens and the favourite moved easily to the front, opening up a clear lead after the last.

Firefox, however, gradually got into his stride and clawed back the advantage, finishing half a length down at the line.

It was a second Grade 1 on the card for Walsh and owner JP McManus who combined to win the opener with Inothewayurthinkin.

Walsh said: "I didn't actually travel as well as I thought I would, I just had to keep him up as close to Jack as I could. Down to the third last I was happy with how I was going but down at the second last Jack seen where I was and I think he was going to try and close the gap and I had to go and commit which was a lot sooner than I wanted but he's a tough horse that ground it out well and done it well.

"He has a turn of foot and I didn't want to turn it into a staying race which I ended up doing but in fairness he stays well as well. He'd be a different horse on better ground I think, he'd travel a lot better, I think you'd see a better horse."

Winning trainer Willie Mullins is far from certain what the future holds for the son of Annie Power, saying: "We have to think 'is he good enough (for the Champion Hurdle)?'.

"Certainly it wasn't part of my thinking at the start of the season but he's improving all the time and possibly with the flat speed he has he might just make......first of all we'll have a look at Punchestown and see what's there.

"We'll probably get that (better ground) in Punchestown and thinking forward 'will we get that on the first day of Cheltenham for the Champion Hurdle?' You probably won't, you'll always have soft in the ground; it's safer.

"It's a possibility but has he got that spark of brilliance that can go past the likes of State Man and Constitution Hill? Just not sure after his performance at Cheltenham this year.

"It's (chasing) not the first thing that would strike you looking at him; I've no doubt he'd make a fantastic novice chase but after that it might be tougher on him. Then we could go back to the flat with him but I'm just wondering if flat racing would destroy his temperament. We'll see. It's a nice problem to have."

Cardinal denies Du Berlais

Mullins was denied a double when Arizona Cardinal (20/1) fought back to overhaul James Du Berlais in the Randox Supports Race Against Dementia Topham Handicap Chase.

The pair were always prominent in the two mile five furlong contest over the Grand National fences. There was early drama when last year's winner, Bill Baxter, made a bad mistake at the third, The Chair, unseating his rider. Another leading contender, Life In The Park, didn't appear to enjoy the experience and dropped himself out before being pulled up after jumping the eleventh.

There were still a dozen or so runners firmly in the mix two from home but Arizona Cardinal, Kandoo Kid, Celebre D'Allen and James Du Berlais pulled clear from the last.

The smooth travelling James Du Berlais looked to have the race at this mercy but rather as he has done on a couple of occasion, his finishing effort flattered to deceive and Arizona Cardinal re-passed him on the run-in to the delight of jockey Ciaran Gethings and trainer Stuart Edmunds.

Kandoo Kid was third, Celebre D'Allen fourth with Aime Desjy fifth.

"I think I've gone beyond smiling, it's unbelievable," exclaimed Gethings.

"I love the horse, I always have, he's just a fantastic little horse. Stuart has trained him to the minute, I rode him at Ludlow last time and he bolted up and I came in and I said 'that wasn't the real horse'. Even though he won by 20 odd lengths, he didn't feel the same horse and Stuart said 'that's fine, we've won a few quid so we'll spend a few quid on him'. We got him right, brought him down to Lambourn to school and I thought we had a good chance.

"I've fancied him for a long time. I haven't told Stuart that or a lot of people but I told a lot of friends and I ride out at Kim Bailey's and told them as well that I really did fancy him to run a big race, he's made for it. I thought I was beat to be honest and I was delighted with second and he just never stopped to the line; it's unbelievable."

Edmunds added: "I don't think he made a mistake, thought he was beat on the run in but then he stayed on very strong, unbelievable. He's not the most conventional, he's long backed, flings his legs out to the side but he's got the heart of a lion.

"We were going mental! I was with my daughter and the girl that looks after him. For all the world, we were happy to finish second but then when he rallied and came back it was unbelievable. He has a will to win which you can't train it into them, they have to do it.

“It was seven or eight months ago when we started looking at this race, mainly because we thought his jumping was superb.

On a possible future tilt at the Grand National, Edmunds added: “He’d jump round, quite whether he’d get that trip (I’m not sure). We might try to stretch him to the Becher Chase and give it a try. He’s obviously relished the fences.”

City scores in Liverpool

Mullins wasn't out of the winner's enclosure for long though as Dancing City (4/1) ran out an easy winner of the Grade 1 Cavani Sartorial Menswear Sefton Novices' Hurdle.

Albert Bartlett runner-up The Jukebox Man and Pertemps second Kyntara made sure this was a true test of stamina and the vaunted Shanagh Bob was in trouble at the top of the home straight but Dancing City - third in the Albert Bartlett - was back on the bridle having required rousting when the tempo quickened.

Kyntara was beaten when taking a tired fall at the last but Dancing City was away and gone by that stage, readily picking up for Paul Townend to win by five and a half lengths.

The Jukebox Man ran a fine race second, finishing clear of Cherie D'am.

Townend said: "He's growing up all the time. He learnt a lot from that run at Cheltenham and he's maturing; he rides like a raw horse. Leaving the back straight I hit a flat spot and I thought I was going nowhere but by the time we'd crossed the bottom I was able to fill him back up, he came back on it and I think he has a big future.

"Once he came back on it and picked himself up he picked up nicely for me up the straight again and took in the scenery here on Ladies' Day off the back of the last.

"I can't wait to jump a fence on him. He's big, immature, loads of scope and I think he'll progress again. He's progressed so much from last year to this year and I think he can do it again."

The successful handler added: "He was on my for sale list at one stage. He just wasn't performing the way we thought but now he's putting his head above the parapet.

"I thought he was going to make a much smarter horse but he's had to go out in trip to three miles and it's over three years since I bought him; it just shows that he's the horse that we thought we were buying. Sometimes they just take that length of time but he looks a really smart type and we know he jumps fences really well."

Kat gets the cream

Kateira (5/1 co-favourite) pulled off a well worked plan in the William Hill Handicap Hurdle.

Supporters of Dan Skelton's mount never had too much cause for concern as the mare travelled well throughout the two and a half mile contest. Settled against the inside rail in midfield by Harry Skelton, she hurdled well before being pulled out for room on the turn into the home straight.

Skelton bided his time before asking her to go and win her race and she readily ran down the front-running Inthewaterside who had got a little bit worked up beforehand (as had co-favourite Ocastle Des Mottes who was never a factor).

Nothing else got into the race although the Nicky Henderson trained Jango Baie devoured the ground in the straight on his handicap debut to pass Inthewaterside, never nearer than at the line.

What's Up Darling took fourth having briefly threatened to take a hand before flattening out, rather as he had done in the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham; Spirit D'Aunou was fifth at 66/1.

The winning distances were one and three quarter lengths, three and a half lengths and eight and a half lengths.

Kateira had finished second to Irish Point in a Grade 1 novice at last year's meeting and came into this race on the back of her best performance this season when third to stablemate Boombawn at Kempton in March.

The winning rider said: "We always knew she was one for today. I'm so happy for the Chugg family.

"She ran twice in the autumn on really soft ground at Wetherby, struggled in it, had a hard race, we went back to Kempton and thought she'd win a mares' race but she ran no race and it takes a brave set of owners and a brave trainer to say we're going to come back home and give her the winter off and it was the best thing they ever did.

"Lovely run the last day at Kempton, that just blew away the cobwebs, I'm delighted she's got her head in front. She was a good runner here last year when second in a Grade 1. Fantastic support from the owners and great training by Dan.

"Today was very much the plan. We'll just see now. There's only two weeks left of the season. She's a fairly lightly raced mare, she prefers a bit of better ground and, I must say, yes it's soft ground but it's so fresh so we took our chance. If there are some nice races in May that we can have a go at we'll do that but we'll look after her."

Extraordinary win for 1000/1 El Jefe

At one stage in the Alder Hey Handicap Hurdle it appeared as though Ben Smith was about to pull up El Jefe (40/1) only for the Andrew Hamilton-trained runner to reappear on the inside after the last, running on strongly to deny Ballee.

A standing start likely compromised the chances of a few of the field but none more so than race favourite Go Dante who almost refused to race, losing a good 10 lengths. It was to his credit that he made up that ground and more to finish fifth.

Afadil was given a positive ride in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham last month and might have been expected to lead but he was buried in midfield by Freddie Gingell. The pair moved through smoothly in the straight and, challenging on the stands' side, always looked to be holding off the gallant Lively Citizen but unfortunately for the pair, El Jefe and Ballee swept past on the inside.

El Jefe was matched at the maximum price on the Betfair Exchange of 1000/1 to the sum of £16.

Hamilton said: “I put Ben on him as I’ve been watching him. He’s only had 10 or 12 rides, but he’s ridden really well and today he was class, like a professional.

“Last night somebody said he was 66/1 and I couldn’t believe it. He’s such a sound horse he runs every couple of weeks, he loves the racing. He’ll get a wee holiday now.

“I’ve got to get back home because I’m leaving to go to a showjumping show at 6am tomorrow morning, but I might have half a beer tonight!”

After the joy of Kateira, however, it was a sad end to day for the Skelton team, as Pikar suffered a heavy fall at the penultimate flight and the track confirmed his injuries were fatal.

An Aintree spokesperson said: “Pikar was immediately attended by expert veterinary professionals during the seventh race of the day, but sadly passed away following a fall at the second last hurdle. Our heartfelt condolences are with his connections.”

More Grand National tips and features

• Grand National Preview Podcast
• Horse-by-horse guide
• Statistical analysis and trends
• What the pedigrees say
• Graham Cunningham: Mission possible
• 'Jumpability' ratings and insight
• Key numbers behind the National
• Simon Holt on the remarkable Kitty's Light
• Record of Gold Cup horses
• Heavy ground Grand Nationals
• National runners who love soft ground
• Grand National Quiz
• Andrew Asquith's Weekend View
• Alex Hammond Blog
• WATCH: Grand National thoughts

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