SIRE Du Berlais (Gordon Elliott/Mark Walsh) is the equine equivalent of Paul Daniels and, for the third time in 12 months, has pulled a rabbit out of the hat in Grade 1 company.

As recently as December he was showing signs that his long career had caught up with him, and he again looked reluctant to exert himself in the early stages of the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle.

As at Cheltenham in the Stayers’, he was traded at 200/1 and bigger in the run when off the bridle some way out but, while he might take longer to warm to the task these days, his stamina has never been in doubt.

Resigned

When he edged ahead of the smooth-travelling Marie’s Rock (Nicky Henderson/Nico De Boinville) before the final hurdle, anyone who opposed him will have been resigned to their fate.

He drew on to win by over three lengths at the line, with Flooring Porter (Gavin Cromwell/Danny Mullins) a further six and a half lengths back in third, having set a strong pace from the front.

Last year, Sire Du Berlais beat Flooring Porter when sent off an outsider at 16/1. While only half those odds this time, he looked a most unlikely winner as Danny Mullins set a relentless gallop.

But it was that searching pace which eventually saw the winner’s bottomless stamina come to the fore against a mare who travelled like the best horse at the weights, but had her stamina to prove trying the trip for the first time.