AN intriguing clash in the day’s feature went the way of The Storyteller who recorded his first victory since April 2018 as he builds towards a season that could climax in a Grand National assault.

The Jim Strang and Sons Kilsheelan Peugeot Hurdle over three miles brought together a pair of Cheltenham winners in the aforementioned The Storyteller and last season’s National third Rathvinden as well as the former Ladbroke Trophy hero Total Recall. At one point it looked as though all three would be upstaged by the front-running Mary Frances but the Patricia Sloan-owned The Storyteller produced a stamina-laden effort on his first start since exiting late on in October’s American Grand National.