FOR most National Hunt followers, their attention last Saturday was focussed on the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree but not so the Canavan family for whom the near three-mile handicap chase at Chepstow was the feature race of the day.

And when the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Clubs Are Trumps scored by 13 lengths to provide Jordan Canavan with his first success as a jockey, on his first ride for his new boss, we are told by his father John that the sound level hit new heights at their home in Castlereagh, just outside Belfast. “His mother (Cathy) nearly squealed the place down!” he commented.