Native Upmanship displays strength of endurance

Stamina won the day for Native Upmanship, as the 100-30 joint-favourite triumphed in the Martell Melling Chase on perfect going at Aintree today.

Having finished second to Flagship Uberalles in the Queen Mother Champion Chase on his latest start, Native Upmanship appreciated the return to two and a half miles as he stayed on late to land the Grade One event.

Fadalko, who took up the lead in the early stages, still looked to be going well in front as the runners turned for home with Wahiba Sands looming up behind.

But as those two battled away on the rails, Conor O`Dwyer brought the winner down the outside to win going away by a length with Wahiba Sands just getting the better of the battle for second by a neck.

'Although he has done a lot of his running on the soft, I think he is just as good on this sort of ground and that certainly looked the case today,' said winning trainer Arthur Moore.

'He had been in fantastic form since Cheltenham and I`d have been disappointed if he hadn`t won.'

Native Upmanship holds entries at Punchestown at the end of this month, over both two miles and three miles.

'The ground will have an influence in the decision and Florida Pearl may do too!' said Moore.

'I would like to go for the King George with him next season. He finished second in the Ericsson on soft ground so I don`t think the trip is a problem.

'He is a class horse, a very good horse, and a pleasure to train.'

O`Dwyer said that he always felt he had the race in safe-keeping.

He said: 'I was happy I was going to get there, he`s a horse who never gives up in a battle and Wahiba Sands didn`t look like he was going to find very much.

'He spent a long time in the air at the second-last but that`s just his way.

'It was good ground but not real fast and it wasn`t a problem.'

Chester Barnes, the assistant to trainer Martin Pipe, said of Wahiba Sands: 'I thought at one stage he was going to win but perhaps he hit the front too soon.'

While Fadalko, who has clearly enjoyed the recent spring sunshine, may make an unexpected return to hurdling at Ayr.

'That was much more like it,' said Barry Simpson, the racing manager of the gelding`s owner, Sir Robert Ogden.

'We will look at Ayr and he could go for the Scottish Champion Hurdle, it is a meeting that Sir Robert likes to have runners at.

'But he probably needs two and a half miles and there is a handicap over that trip as well.'

Tiutchev, who was returned the other 100-30 joint-favourite, never seemed to be travelling as well as he can and finished well beaten in fourth.

But Foly Pleasant was pulled up in the early stages by Jim Culloty, who thought his mount had lost his action.

Trainer Henrietta Knight: 'He did a very big jump early on and he might have stretched himself a bit on ground he wasn`t liking, Jim pulled him up but he seems fine now.'