National joy for Grant

Laertes put up a fine staying performance to land the £25,000 Press & Journal Highland National, the feature race on the final day of Perth’s festival meeting.

Trained by former top jockey Chris Grant, the Denis O’Regan-ridden seven-year-old went to the front at the 11th of the 23 fences in the three-mile-seven-furlong test and never really looked like being caught up the straight, passing the post six lengths clear of Lydon House.