Gunner battles to Grand victory

Forest Gunner produced an exhilarating round of jumping to make virtually all in the betfair.com Grand Sefton Handicap Chase at Aintree today.

The Richard Ford-trained 10-year-old was following up on his all-the-way win in the Fox Hunters’ over the same course and distance in April.

Hitting the front after the fifth fence under Peter Buchanan, the gelding barely made a mistake and did not see another horse over the extended two mile and five furlong event as he went on to record an eight-length success.

Trainer Richard Ford was uncertain as to which race he would be aimed for next spring at the Liverpool track, and said: “Don’t ask me about plans, because that was the plan. I don’t honestly think he will stay the Grand National distance, although he will be entered and he loves it around here.

“The Topham is the obvious race we will look at for him as long as the handicapper does not go mad, but we will go away and have a think.”

Buchanan’s effort on the 7-1 favourite was enough for Ireland to land the Betfair Jockeys’ Challenge by 54 points to 48 from Great Britain, while jockey Sam Stronge, aboard second-placed Asparagus, was given a two-day ban for excessive use of the whip.

No Refuge made a successful hurdling debut in the opener and went some way to justifying the 180,000gns that owner Graham Wylie paid for him at the sales.

The gelding, sent off the 4-7 favourite for the betfair.com 0870 90 80 121 Novices’ hurdle, was settled in third for much of the way under Graham Lee behind the long-time leader Football Crazy before looming up to challenge three fences from home.

However, Football Crazy did not give in straight away, and the four-year-old, bought from Sir Mark Prescott’s stables, had to be ridden strongly to lead at the last before running out a four-length winner.

Trainer Howard Johnson said: “We had a job with him schooling, we haven’t had him very long, but when Graham Lee came up he wouldn’t jump, wouldn’t go at all. But a girl in the yard, who used to do showjumping, got him jumping over poles and he got better and better. He is a nice little horse.”

Chauvinist, the 2-1 favourite, defied a horrendous jumping error to bravely land the Sharp Minds Betfair Novices’ Chase.

Marcus Foley tried to make all the running on the Nicky Henderson-trained nine-year-old, but the rider was almost unshipped when getting too close to the fourth-last, which handed the initiative to Town Crier, who was travelling ominously well under Dominic Elsworth.

That horse hit the front before the last and looked set to take the spoils, before Chauvinist, a former classy hurdler returning from a year off, rallied on the run-in to score by two lengths.

“Coming down to the fence there was nothing really there, so I just decided to get on with it and he put down on me, but he was very good to stand up” said Foley, referring to the error.

“I gave him a chance turning out the back, and the one thing he does do is stay. He was good at the last, gave it plenty of air, and galloped to the line. He will come on big time for it as well.”

Lazy But Lively sprung a 10-1 surprise to take the betfair.com Jockeys’ Challenge Handicap Hurdle in impressive fashion.

The eight-year-old is really better known as a chaser but relished the testing conditions and was always travelling sweetly under Keith Mercer when settled in fourth behind leader Smiths Landing.

Trainer by Roger Fisher, he was still hard on the bridle when moving up to lead two out, and gamely ran on to hold off the challenge of Hautclan on the flat by two lengths, with Smiths Landing eight lengths back in third.

Owner Simon Marsh said: “We knew the ground would make him stay better. We ran him in a chase last Friday, but the ground was too quick, so we decided to take our chance here over three miles. He will go back chasing now.”

In the betfair.com Back Or Lay Handicap Chase, despite a number of errors, the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Ballylusky (6-4 favourite) had too much for his three rivals, leading in the home straight and plugging on to defeat Bunratty Castle by three and a half lengths under Tom Siddall.

“He has got his own way of doing it,” said his part-owner Jim McGrath. “Tom got off and said ‘it wasn’t poetry, but it worked.’

“Because of a problem with his stifles, he can’t spring as far as he should, and has had a lot of work done to strengthen his muscles. But he is into a habit now, and you have just got to leave him. He is dead game and we have had a lot of fun with him.”

O’Neill was on the mark again half an hour later after his useful mare Refinement took the closing betfair.com Best Odds Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Alan Berry was always travelling smoothly on the five-year-old, who finished second in this year’s Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, and she never really had to come off the bridle to score readily by four lengths from Blue Buster to justify her odds of 1-3.

O’Neill was not sure whether he would send her hurdling, and said: “I might keep her for the Cheltenham Bumper again next year, but I will have to talk to the owners.

“She’s a good mare, gutsy, very genuine, she’s won three times from four runs now.