Welcome change of luck for Pipe

Britain`s champion trainer Martin Pipe belatedly got off the mark for the meeting when Ilnamar took the Coral Eurobet Cup.

But it was not stable jockey Tony McCoy who took the spoils, as he rode the disappointing favourite Golden Alpha.

Instead Rodi Greene seized the limelight to seal the biggest win of his career as the 25-1 chance stormed home eight lengths clear from the Jonjo O`Neill-trained pair, Joss Naylor and Master Tern, with Stromness fourth.

Only 24 hours earlier Pipe had been dealt a devastating blow with the loss of his star hurdler Valiramix, who fractured a shoulder in a tragic accident on the flat during the Smurfit Champion Hurdle.

'It`s nice to get a win on the board and nice for Rodi,' said Pipe. 'I was beginning to wonder if I was going to have to rely on my son David (who runs Horus in the Foxhunter Chase) to uphold the family name.

'Ilnamar has been struggling with the English fences and that is why he is back over hurdles but he had some good formin France.

'I ran six in the race and I thought four of them had a good chance and he was one of them.'

Pipe completed a 675-1 double when Blowing Wind (25-1) foiled a gamble on McCoy`s mount Lady Cricket, the 5-2 favourite, in the 52nd Year of the Mildmay of Flete Challenge Cup.

McCoy looked like finding that elusive first winner of this year`s Festival when Lady Cricket powered her way to the front before the final fence, but the champion could only look across in horror as Ruby Walsh drove Blowing Wind ahead in the last 50 yards to score by a length and a quarter.

'It`s great to have a one-two,' said the Nicholashayne trainer. 'I saw Lady Cricket in front and thought she was going to win and then I saw something come to challenge her and I cheered them both home, but poor Tony.'

Pipe confirmed that Blowing Wind would go for the Martell Grand National, in which he was remounted to finish third behind Red Marauder last April.

William Hill cut the nine-year-old to 10-1 joint-favourite from 16-1, along with Supreme Glory for the Aintree showpiece.

Jonjo O`Neill gained compensation for some earlier misfortune when 10-1 shot Rith Dubh took the 132nd Year of National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup Amateur Riders` Novices` Chase.

The winner benefited from a fine ride by J T McNamara, who delayed his challenge until after the final fence where they edged past Timbera to score by a head.

'He gave him a fantastic ride,' said O`Neill. 'He was doing everything right, not asking him to do anything until the last minute.

'The horse has ability, you`ve just got to know how to extract it.'