Conti Bowls over his rivals Silviniaco Conti got back on the winning trail with a determined victory in the Betfred Bowl at Aintree for Paul Nicholls and Noel Fehily. Fehily was keen to ensure the contest was a searching test of stamina and set a good gallop from the outset on the 9-4 chance, who was fourth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, though he was closely pursued by last year's Betfred Bowl winner, First Lieutenant. The pair led their rivals into the straight, with hot favourite Dynaste, Argocat and Menorah all laying down a challenge and Dynaste eventually emerged as the biggest threat to Silviniaco Conti, who again wandered across the track, but Nicholls' charge jumped the final fence well and kept up the gallop to hold the market leader by a length and a half. Argocat came through to grab third from First Lieutenant. Fehily said: "I think he likes a little bit of company, he likes to go along with other horses. I was ever so disappointed to get beat in the Gold Cup because I thought he was the best horse and in the end I didn't end up in the first three." Nicholls said: "I wanted to be very positive with him - he keeps on galloping. He did the job well. He's won a King George and this, so it's brilliant. "I'll talk to the lads, there's Punchestown but I think we'll probably end it (the season) on that." Nicholls went on: "We've needed a good chaser after Kauto and Denman, and he's done fantastically right. "We'll try and put that right (his defeat in the Gold Cup) and win some races along the way." Trainer David Pipe believes Dynaste is unlikely to run again this term. He said: "It was a cracking run and we'll look forward for next season now. It'll be the same sort of races and aim towards Cheltenham again. "He's had a fantastic season and I'd say Punchestown was unlikely because he's had two tough races." Argocat will, however, go to the well once more this spring. Trainer Tom Taaffe said: "It was a good run. He ran as I expected. If the jockey (Tony McCoy) had known him better he might have been able to help him a bit more, but I've no complaints. "He'll now go for the Gold Cup at Punchestown."
