RUNNER-UP 12 months ago in the Guinness Galway Hurdle. Ndaawi (Cracksman) provided his local owners Easyfix with a popular success this time, though not in the manner they would have wished. While it made for good television, I felt uncomfortable watching two friends, Gordon Elliott and Noel Meade, standing together and awaiting their fate. Both men acted with great grace.

In fairness to Ndaawi, the five-year-old was deserving of a big payday, having only won once before Thursday over hurdles, and been placed at the Cheltenham Festival when runner-up in the Grade 3 County Hurdle after running third a year earlier in the Grade 3 Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle. He now makes the 62,000gns spent on him by Aidan O’Ryan at the 2023 Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale look good value.