AINTREE SATURDAY

UNOWHATIMEANHARRY, whose only defeat last term came in the World Hurdle, started his campaign in solid fashion at Aintree on Saturday, winning the three-runner Read Noel Fehily At 188Bet Hurdle at odds of 8/11.

Considering the trip was only two and a half miles and they went a modest gallop, this was a good effort.

The favourite faced a serious rival in Nicky Henderson’s Top Notch, who led and was still battling it out at the last.

The outsider Value At Risk joined him and had the better of the argument but Barry Geraghty also had Unowhatimeanharry challenging and the latter had enough in the locker to go on and score by a length and a half.

“The plan had been to go straight to Newbury but Harry (Fry) said he’d been going so well at home that we came here instead. It rode like a smart race and he pulled out plenty,” Geraghty said.

Bookmakers cut Unowhatimeanharry to 6/1 joint-favourite for the World Hurdle, alongside last year’s winner Nichols Canyon.

SKELTON DOUBLE

Considered a certain future champion trainer by many, Dan Skelton won the first two races with Hear No Evil and Captain Chaos, both ridden by brother Harry.

The few hurdlers to carry the Magnier colours inevitably have a touch of class and Hear No Evil, 5/2, a strapping gelding by Irish sire Getaway, pulled five lengths clear of Imperial Eloquence in the 188Bet “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle. Dan Skelton was at pains to point out that he is a horse for next year but this was a promising start.

Harry Skelton rode an attacking race on 7/2 shot Captain Chaos in the three-mile, one-furlong novices’ chase, leading early and then pressing on in relentless fashion to account for Paul Nicholls’ Coastal Tiep by 19 lengths. The trainer fancied him for the Towton Chase at Wetherby last term but he fell and injured himself. Restored to rude health, he will try again in February.

ANOTHER FOR BASTYAN

Mitchell Bastyan is rattling through his allowance and is already down to 5lb. He again looked a fine prospect when galvanising Evan Williams’ On Tour in the Rugby Betting At 188Bet Handicap Chase, getting him up on the run-in to beat Master Dee by three lengths after approaching the last in fourth place.

On Tour looked good once jumping out of the sticky ground more effectively in this valuable contest. Like his sometimes unfortunate stable-companion Buywise, he looks a natural for one of the pre-Christmas handicap chases at Cheltenham, possibly the December Gold Cup.