Classic Day For Walsh And Ladalko

Ruby Walsh has proved himself the master of riding staying chasers and was the toast of punters once more as he provided Paul Nicholls with back-to-back runnings of the totesport.com Classic Chase at Warwick.

Walsh was aboard Eurotrek for the champion trainer 12 months ago and rode another patient race in this year's renewal partnered with the gambled-on Ladalko, who was returned the 9-2 favourite.

As is his now familiar style, the jockey ? who boasts a 42 per cent strike rate at the track ? crept into the marathon contest on the final circuit, but had to really stoke his mount up heading to the third-last.

Ladalko, who has fallen on his two other chase starts this winter, kept finding for his pilot and a superb leap over the final fence sent him clear of Welsh National runner-up Mon Mome for a four-length call.

Front-running Naunton Brook was another length back in third.

Nicholls said: 'He has had two falls so hasn't had hard races and I don't think he has ever looked better.

'He ran out of petrol over hurdles at Cheltenham last time, but that was a nice confidence booster. He came on for the run and this has always been the plan.

'Ruby gave him a fantastic ride and it was always the plan to go wide. It has worked out ideally.

'He was just touched off in the Scottish National so he deserved a big race and this was the one I have always had in mind for him.

'You never know whether horses will act around Aintree so I don't know about the National and there's no great plan, but he will have an entry.'

Walsh added: 'He settled really well. They went a good clip early, but I had my own speed and he kept jumping away and creeping into the race.

'He had a cut at the last and ran to the line. I was squeezing him along a bit, but he quickened up going to the second-last, jumped it well and a got a run between the two lads.

'Paul said to me at Cheltenham he would need the run a little bit and he was right ? he got to the line today.'

Stan James and VC Bet cut Ladalko into 20-1 from 33s for the Aintree contest, while totesport introduced him at 25s.

The pair were on the mark earlier with Gungadu, who started at cramped odds in the #20,000 totepool Novices' Chase, although those who took the 2-5 on offer had few anxious moments as he jumped to a 25-length victory over In Accord.

Nicholls said: 'He jumps and stays and could go for the Reynoldstown at Ascot next month or we could keep him fresh and go for the four-miler at Cheltenham.

'Denman is in the same ownership and he will go for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase. Gungadu won't run against him.'

Emma Lavelle is considering a crack at the Ladbrokes World Hurdle with Labelthou after the mare continued her excellent run with an all-the-way romp in the Ballymore Properties Leamington Novices' Hurdle.

The mud-loving 8-13 favourite has now won three of her last four starts and was eased down just before the line by Barry Fenton to collect by a length and three-quarters from Zilcash.

Lavelle said: 'She'll go to Cheltenham now and will be entered in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle and the Brit Insurance Novices' Hurdle.

'I'll give the World Hurdle a serious look as it could be a funny race this year and to finish second to Black Jack Ketchum would be no disgrace, although it would have to be soft for her to run.'

Cashmans cut the mare into 8-1 from 10s for the Brit Insurance, while the sponsors quote her at 50-1 for the World Hurdle.

Carl Llewellyn's bumper horses always have to be respected and Den Of Iniquity maintained his unbeaten record when scoring under the trainer as the 4-9 favourite in the Listed totesport 0800 221 221 Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Ladbrokes make the six-year-old the 8-1 favourite for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, while William Hill offer 10-1 and Coral 14-1.

Llewellyn said: 'I have some nice bumper horses and I'd say he'd be the best of them so far.

'I am not sure if he will go to Cheltenham, it would need to be soft if he did, but he will go hurdling in the autumn.'

Rowley Hill was one of two runners in the handicap-proper in the Pertemps Hurdle and, with conditions to suit, he ran out a three-and-a-half-length winner under Robert Thornton.

Winning trainer Alan King said of the 100-30 favourite: 'I don't know if he will go for the Pertemps Final and that might have been his Cheltenham.

'He lost his confidence last season, but seems to have got it back and I might put him back over fences at some point.'

The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Star Double (7-1) got the afternoon off to a flying start with a three-length call over Florazine in the toteplacepot Novices' Handicap Hurdle, while David Pipe's Madison Du Berlais (11-10 favourite) appreciated a drop back to the minimum distance to take the totescoop6 Handicap Chase by 14 lengths.

(C) PA Sport