No waining as Always comes alive again in Topham

ALWAYS Waining may have missed getting a run in the John Smith’s Grand National by the skin of his teeth but he managed to achieve the next best thing at Aintree on Friday.

It is only over the famous birch fences that Peter Bowen’s horse comes alive and he pulled off a remarkable feat to land the John Smith’s Topham Chase for the second year in a row.

Always Waining’s unpromising form figures during both this season and last may hinder him from ever getting a run in the big race itself – it caused him to be only the first reserve this time – but he was allowed to take his chance in the Topham after the final National deadline passed.