AINTREE SUNDAY

THE star of the show at Aintree on Sunday was the redoubtable Smad Place, who started at 12/1 but led three out in the 188Bet Monet’s Garden Old Roan Handicap Chase and kept on dourly for Wayne Hutchinson to hold Cloudy Dream by three-parts of a length.

Smad Place, now 10, has always taken on powerful opposition but found himself 8lb lower than when fourth in this race last year. He was a decisive winner of the Hennessy off 155 in 2015 and Alan King will no doubt be tempted by the Ladbrokes renewal this time.

“He doesn’t know how to run a bad race and it’s just a pity that he falls slightly short in very top races like the King George and the Gold Cup,” Hutchinson said. Nicky Henderson also won the opening maiden hurdle with Alan Spence’s 2/1 favourite On The Blind Side, who worked hard to get the better of Tom George’s rank outsider Another Stowaway.

There is no doubt more to come, On The Blind Side having cost £205,000 after winning his only Irish point in January.

Scousers have little time for most things Arsenal, though Ray Parlour’s indomitable spirit was never lost on them.

Tom George’s The Romford Pele, named after the popular midfield man, gained several more admirers when justifying 4/1 favouritism in the even more popular veterans’ chase. He was ridden by Adrian Heskin.