Geraghty back in the winners enclosure

Soldatino, a 6/1 shot, credited Barry Geraghty with his third winner of the festival when the grey got on top inside the last half furlong to deny Barizan, who made a brave attempt to make all the running, in the Triumph Hurdle.

The runner up was a good fifteen lengths clear on the approach to the home straight and held a three length advantage on the approach to the last.

But a mistake at the final hurdle didn’t help his cause and Geraghty’s mount eventually reeled him in on the run in for a hard fought success.

The Irish pair, Alaivan and Carlito Brigante finished third and fourth respectively, seven lengths behind the runner up.

Geraghty said: "It was a good performance. The leader (Barizan) set off very quick, I had to drop in and switch off. The leader went off that quick he had to stop.

"I gave him a couple of slaps before the last to keep him going forward. I knew I would get there well enough.

"It's a long way from the second last home and having gone that quick, he couldn't keep it up to the line."

Henderson said: "I'm thrilled for the horse, he's only a baby, they all are, but he's very inexperienced.

"You nearly felt sorry for the second horse because he got away from them. You have to say he's run a fantastic race.

"You worry that he is only a baby and it was a long way to have to go on your own and catch the other horse because the gap was huge, but he does stay.

"Anthony (Bromley) found him down in Pau in January so he hasn't been in England very long and he doesn't have much mileage on the clock. He's an exciting horse."

Alaivan's rider Andrew McNamara said: "I thought the leader would have to stop for us to pick him up and as it happened he didn't. Third is as good as we were on the day."