Irish joy at Aintree

Tony McCoy won the feature Betfred Monet's Garden Old Roan Chase aboard Conquisto at Aintree and proceeded to win two more races aboard Josies Dancers and Shutthefrontdoor.

McCoy moved to 14 winners from the magical 4,000 mark over jumps when making it a double for the day on Josies Orders in the Betfred Mobile Casino Novices' Handicap Hurdle.

Jonjo O'Neill's five-year-old was a three-and-a-quarter-length scorer from the Paul Nicholls-trained Sin Bin, although McCoy again was required to ride at his brilliant best.

It was a hat-trick for McCoy and a brace for O'Neill as Cheltenham Festival hero Shutthefrontdoor (4/5) justified odd-on favouritism on his fencing debut in the four-runner Betfred Bingo Novices' Chase.

Held up at the rear of the quartet through the early stages as Beeves cut out the running, McCoy was stalking the long-time leader three out and got his mount organised going to the last.

Beeves took the final fence with just a slight advantage and it was down to the familiar McCoy drive to gain the day on the run to the line by half a length.

O'Neill said of Shutthefrontdoor: "That was a nice effort. He jumped well, he'll come on for the run and needs a bit further, but he did the job.

"I think he only made one mistake and that was the jockey's fault - If you believe that you'll believe anything! He's a lovely chasing type, but I don't want to overface him."

On the earlier winner, Josies Orders, he said: "That was an incredible ride. AP lifted him home really. I couldn't believe what I was seeing."

There was no four-timer for McCoy as Cheltenham Bumper second Regal Encore (8/15 favourite) had to settle for second on his hurdling bow in the Betfred "Racing's Biggest Supporter" Maiden Hurdle.

Keen early and held up, McCoy's mount made progress rounding the turn for home but still had a deal to do two out and while he gained ground on Garde La Victoire (7/1) after the last, the Anthony Honeyball-trained five-year-old never really looked like getting there.

The reverse meant McCoy ended the day requiring 13 more winners to hit the 4,000 figure.

Philip Hobbs said of Garde La Victoire, who was another hurdling debutant: "That's a very good start to the season for him, he only had one run last season in a small race at Exeter so we wanted to learn more about him today. He's done it really well, we'll get him home and see how he is and take it from there."

Honeyball said of Regal Encore: "That was a good start for him and hopefully his jumping will sharpen up a bit for that experience. AP said he was very fresh early on and he had to get him switched off.

"They just quickened and quickened and AP had to rush him to get involved. He was never able to really land a blow.

"He's a bit novicey, but hopefully there's more to come from him and we'll find another similar race in about four weeks."

In the opener, a late change of plan paid off handsomely for Karinga Dancer as the talented seven-year-old made an impressive seasonal return in the Betfred Goals Galore Handicap Hurdle at Aintree.

A winner on his final three starts of the last campaign, Harry Fry's charge was due to make his comeback in this afternoon's Persian War Novices' Hurdle at Chepstow.

However, as it was clear earlier in the week testing conditions would prevail in Wales, Karinga Dancer was given an alternative engagement on Merseyside and was the 4/1 co-favourite as he made his handicap debut.

Ridden with maximum confidence by Nick Scholfield, the gelding cruised into contention rounding the home turn.

He was briefly caught in a pocket halfway up the straight, but broke free on the run to the final obstacle and powered clear on the run-in to seal an eight-length triumph.

Bygones Of Brid ran a fine race in second, with other co-favourites Ifandbutwhynot and Special Catch third and fourth respectively.

Fry said: "He is only a novice (over hurdles) until November 1, so our plan right through the summer was to make the most of that and run him in the Persian War at Chepstow before going straight over fences.

"The ground has ended up very soft at Chepstow, so that swayed us to come here for this and thankfully it's paid off.

"He is a horse with plenty of pace. He worked with Rock On Ruby two weeks before the Champion Hurdle last season and on that you would have thought he deserved to take his chance in it.

"The plan before today was to go straight over fences with him, but we'll see how he's reassessed over hurdles and go from there.

"Everything about him tells you he's a chaser. He jumps fences very well and hopefully he'll be an exciting recruit to the novice ranks."

Irish raider Jamsie Hall emerged victorious after a thrilling three-way finish to the Betfred Mobile Sports Veterans' Handicap Chase.

Fruity O'Rooney led the seven-strong field for much of the three-mile-one-furlong journey, but Hey Big Spender looked for all the world the likely winner after cruising to the lead hard on the bridle in the straight.

However, the Gordon Elliott-trained Jamsie Hall claimed him between the final two fences, with Pigeon Island and outsider Categorical also arriving on the scene.

That trio fought it out on the run to the line, with Jamsie Hall and Keith Donoghue holding on by a neck from Pigeon Island.

Categorical ran well in third, with Hey Big Spender remarkably finishing out of the places in fourth.

Donoghue, riding at Aintree for the first time, returned to the winner's enclosure with his silks splattered in blood.

The jockey said: "I had a cut on my lip and I hit myself in the face with my whip at one of the fences, but it didn't make any difference. I got to the front a bit soon, to be honest. The horse jumped the second-last so well and I just had to keep him going then. Thankfully he held on.

"The horse has been running well in Ireland, finishing third in the Munster National last time. He's a good ground horse."

Nick and Kit Alexander combined to take the Betfred Mobile Lotto Handicap Chase with 10/1 shot Rossini's Dancer.

The young jockey had partnered the eight-year-old to a recent victory at Hexham for his father, but he faced a far tougher assignment on this occasion.

Saved By John appeared to have shaken off his rivals in the straight, but Rossini's Dancer would not go away and was right alongside as they jumped the final fence.

The two settled down to fight it out Rossini's Dancer won the argument by two and a quarter lengths.

The winning trainer said: "We were thinking about hunter chasing, but we wanted to see if he could do it off this mark first and he obviously can. I don't think he'll be going hunter chasing now. He's an absolute star.

"He's only our second runner at Aintree. We lost the other horse who ran here, so it's nice to get a winner here for a bit of payback."