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THIS could be quite a campaign for Colin Tizzard. The trainer made his mark at Aintree on Sunday - after three seconds at Cheltenham - when a revitalised Third Intention took the 1888Bet Monet’s Garden Old Roan Handicap Chase.

Monet’s Garden, a grand old favourite and three times a winner of the race, was paraded to generous applause. It would be fair to say no one has ever regarded Third Intention in quite the same way because he has often found little. However, he did nothing wrong here and picked up best in the straight for Aidan Coleman, hitting the front before the last and keeping on to beat God’s Own by nearly two lengths.

Vibrato Valtat, clear as they entered the closing stages, and Smad Place came next but Sire De Grugy finished last of the seven over a distance, two and a half miles, which is too far for him.

“I’m really no closer to knowing what his best trip is,” Tizzard said of the winner. “He’s done well there when I thought he was aiming for fifth at one stage. He’ll have an entry in the Hennessy tomorrow but I think he may actually be best at between two and a half and three miles.”

Alan King’s Smad Place is all set to defend his Hennessy crown after keeping on again close home, but both he and Third Intention can be backed at 25/1 at present.

MASSINI’S TRAP

Curragh trainer James Nash has developed a liking for valuable British contests and triumphed with 25/1 shot Massini’s Trap in the two and a half mile handicap hurdle.

Four of the hurdles were omitted because of the low sun and that quite possibly helped the winner, a fair flat horse, who led between the normal last two and forged clear for Paul Townend to score by five lengths from Born Survivor. This was Massini’s Trap’s first success since 2014 but he had tumbled down the weights accordingly.

“He just didn’t stay at Southwell the time before last so we dropped him back in trip and waited for a decent pot,” Nash said. “I’m delighted for the owner, Sebastian Curran, because the horse is a homebred.”

Nash’s will be winning more races here. Indeed, Sunday might have been even better because the gallant 13-year-old Your Busy ran a fine race in the 1888Bet Veterans’ Chase, going down by five lengths to Harry Fry’s Shuil Royale, who was making it an excellent weekend for Noel Fehily.