Orsippus springs Matalan shock

There was a major shock in the Grade One Matalan Anniversary 4-Y-O Novices' Hurdle at Aintree when 40-1 chance Orsippus floored some better-fancied rivals.

Third behind Sanctuaire in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham, he was only 2lb better off with that rival for over 10 lengths.

The winner looked well beaten turning into the straight as Ruby Walsh tracked Barizan on the Paul Nicholls-trained Sanctuaire, but Davy Condon began to get a real tune out of his mount.

Orsippus was providing unheralded north-east trainer Michael Smith with by far the biggest success of his career in beating Barizan by three and a quarter lengths.

Aidan Coleman was taken to hospital following a fall from Double Handful in the contest.

Condon said: "I was looking at the television before I came out to ride and he was 50-1.

"I thought he shouldn't be that big just because he's with a small trainer in the north of England.

"He ran a cracker at Cheltenham and didn't get the best of runs there.

"He was probably unlucky and I might even have been second that day to Ruby (Walsh). I fancied him a bit.

"My fella quickened up the best at the end of the day. AP (McCoy) set it up in front. They went steady and turned it into a bit of a sprint.

"My fella's got gears and was able to quicken with them and he jumped well too."

Smith, who has just seven horses at his Kirkheaton base in Tyne & Wear - all owned by his wife Sandra - added: "We looked for Flat horses that had won a maiden. He'd won one at Goodwood that's why we got him.

"He came to our place where it's nice and quiet, we have just a handful of horses. We thought in time he would improve and he has.

"He had a bad run at Cheltenham. He lost about 25 lengths when he got squeezed up on the rail at the first bend. He spent the whole race trying to get back into it.

"He was good enough then to do this. That (Cheltenham) was bad luck, but that's racing."