The going may have been officially heavy at Haydock Park but that certainly suited the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Billyandi, who landed the opening Cotebrook Novices’ Handicap Hurdle in the hands of Carl Llewellyn.

Ginger McCain equalled his previous best seasonal total when Regal Heights’ victory at Ayr put the Aintree legend on 22 for the campaign.