IRELAND’S best chance on the opening day looked to be On The Fringe, 7/4 favourite for the Randox Health Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase over the Grand National fences - a race he won last year. However, he seemed to have gone back slightly at Cheltenham and was pulled-up after both the Chair and the Foinavon caused him problems.

Victory went to last year’s runner-up Dineur, 16/1, and amateur James King, who led at the elbow and defied all of Derek O’Connor’s considerable efforts on Balnaslow.