Famous Aintree Repeat For Eile

Al Eile proved to be yet another horse that reserves his very best for the Grand National meeting as he captured a second Baltika Beer Aintree Hurdle.

While Detroit City again disappointed following his flop in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, the John Queally-trained Al Eile was a changed character from some indifferent runs earlier in the season.

Winner of this Grade One in 2005, he missed Cheltenham and had not seemed himself over the winter but under a cool Timmy Murphy ride, the 12-1 shot was always close to the pace, leading two from home and holding on for a receding length and a half victory over Gaspara.

'He was scoping badly and has had muscle problems, but has just come to himself in the last three weeks,' said Queally in the midst of a raucous Irish welcome.

'This is his Champion Hurdle, he's a stone better here. We might look at a handicap on the Flat like the Ebor or the Northumberland Plate now.'

Gaspara, heroine of the Imperial Cup-Cheltenham double, produced an outstanding effort for a juvenile and her trainer David Pipe reported: 'She ran better than could have been expected. She has been running in handicaps, but has taken on the big boys and has beaten the Champion Hurdle third.'

That horse, Afsoun, was a staying-on third again and is rated '50-50' by connections to go to the Punchestown Festival now, while Gaspara could go for a race in France.

The 7-4 favourite Detroit City was last home.

'He was never going, but was sound when pulled up,' said the grey's owner Terry Warner.

'He'll have three months off and if we're happy with him he could go chasing next year.'

Paul Nicholls welcomed in his first winner of the three-day gathering as Twist Magic atoned for his crashing Arkle fall with a faultless display in the Grade One John Smith's Maghull Novices' Chase.

Ruby Walsh's mount was moving menacingly well when exciting at the second-last at the Festival, but the promising five-year-old came good against a quality field.

The 9-4 favourite pulled his way into contention along the back straight and, after leading three fences from the finish, he produced an impressive turn of foot to draw away and hold Fair Along by five lengths.

Nicholls said: 'That was the one I wanted. I tend not to look back, but he was travelling ominously well at Cheltenham.

'If he reproduced that form again I would have been disappointed if he hadn't won here. He travels and jumps great and the track was always going to suit him.

'Since Azertyuiop went we haven't had a top-class two-miler and he will go for all of those big races next season, but his main aim will be the Champion Chase.

'I don't know where I will start him off, but he doesn't want to have too much racing and the Queen Mother is his big target.'

Ladbrokes cut Twist Magic to 10-1 from 16s for the Champion Chase, while VC Bet went 10s from 20s.

There was a second Aintree winner for John Quinn when Kings Quay (16-1) gamely landed the Listed John Smith's Extra Smooth Handicap Hurdle in the hands of conditional Dougie Costello.

This looked a competitive affair on paper and despite his mount hanging left on the run-in, Costello kept him going well to get the better of Diego Cao by a length.

Quinn said: 'We bought him at the Horses In Training Sales, we like to buy dual purpose horses and the plan now is to go for the Galway Hurdle and he may have a run on the Flat in between.'

However, there was a small sting in the tail for Costello, who was suspended for two days (April 25, 26) for careless riding.

But he admitted: 'It was a fair cop.'

Albertas Run won his fourth race from five starts this season with a hard-fought victory in the John Smith's Extra Cold Handicap Hurdle.

Leading after the second-last, the Jonjo O'Neill-trained six-year-old had to be ridden out by Noel Fehily to hold Lyes Green's (10-1) renewed effort by half a length.

Last year's winner Refinement (9-1), also trained by O'Neill, was a further one and three-quarters away third, with Penny Pictures (40-1) fourth.

O'Neill said of his 9-2 favourite: 'The key to him is his jumping and he did everything right.

'His full-brother High Gear loves it like tarmac so we were hoping he would all right on it.

'That will be probably it for the season for him. We'll have a chat about it.'

Private Be (12-1) gave Hobbs some compensation for Detroit City's disappointing run with an all-the-way victory in the John Smith's Novices' Handicap Chase.

It was the first year the race had been opened up to conditional riders as well as amateur jockeys but the finish was fought out by two part-timers, with Josh Guerriero getting the better of JT McNamara on Bob Hall by three lengths.

Irish raider Time To Sell stayed on for third, a further four lengths in arrears.

The contest was subject to a huge delay as Graphic Approach, a faller in the preceding John Smith's Grand National, was down on the track suffering from heat stroke.

The delay caused Paul Nicholls to withdraw both Ofarel D'Airy and Bold Fire from the race while the final contest, the John Smith's Champion Standard Open NH Flat Race, was abandoned on welfare grounds as the horse was continued to be treated.

(C) PA Sport