BARTON BACK TO BEST Barton recaptured his best form when bravely battling through the testing conditions to land the Martell Aintree Hurdle in emphatic style today.Tim Easterby`s gelding had disappointed on a few occasions this season but put that all behind him as he stormed away from the last to score by 14 lengths at 9-1.Favourite Best Mate (3-1) stayed on to take second, a length-and-a-quarter in front of Mr Cool. Two-time Martell Grand National-winning jockey Carl Llewellyn began National day in fine style when booting home Docklands Limo (20-1) to win the opening Cordon Bleu Handicap Hurdle. While Llewellyn was celebrating this success his weighing room colleague Mick Fitzgerald, who rode the unplaced Fondmort, gave up the remainder of his rides following a recurrence of the shoulder injury which kept him out of action earlier this week. Ballinclay King emerged victorious in the Martell Maghull Novices` Chase after an exhausting battle, defeating Whitenzo by a neck. Digging deep in the final 100 yards, Ballinclay King (6-1) got up near the line.
