Wins for Kauto Star, Diamond Harry and Zaynar on a top quality weekend of jumps racing.
The Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Haydock provided the feature event of the weekend on paper and it certainly lived up to its billing.
The outstanding Kauto Star got the better of 2009 Ryanair Chase winner Imperial Commander in one of the tightest photographs one is ever likely to see, in the process securing a third success in the three-mile event.
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Elsewhere on the card, the David Pipe-trained Mr Thriller battled back to deny the strong-travelling Starluck in an equally exciting finish to the Tune Into Timeform Radio Hurdle, while leading 2008/9 novice hurdler Diamond Harry cruised to victory in the Timeform Betfair Racing Club 'Fixed Brush' Hurdle, with top-weight proving no hindrance to the Nick Williams-trained six-year-old.
Over at Ascot, Nicky Henderson's unbeaten Triumph Hurdle winner Zaynar returned to action in some style, landing the Grade 2 Coral Ascot Hurdle by six lengths from 2009 Ballymore Properties Hurdle runner-up Karabak. The four-year-old grey extended his winning sequence to four, in the process thrusting himself towards the top of the ante-post market for the 2010 Champion Hurdle (currently 8.4 to back on Betfair).
The Jonjo O' Neill-trained Albertas Run secured his first victory since the 2008 Royal and Sunalliance Chase when beating Planet of Sound by three lengths in the Grade 2 Amlin 1965 Chase, with 2007 Champion Chase winner Voy Por Ustedes having to settle for third.
On the Flat, Lingfield showcased two Listed events, including the six-furlong Golden Rose Stakes, in which the David Barron-trained Jaconet secured a pillar-to-post victory. The mile-and-a-quarter Churchill Stakes witnessed the reappearance of Hong Kong Group 1 winner Presvis, but the Luca Cumani-trained five-year-old was upstaged by the Henry Cecil-trained Tranquil Tiger, who secured a comfortable success, while also returning from a break.
Aintree staged the feature card on Sunday, with the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase providing something of a shock, with 15.0 shot Dev taking the prize. The Becher Chase, the only other event on Sunday run over the famous National fences, went the way of the Irish-trained Vic Venturi, with the Dessie Hughes-trained nine-year-old landing a second successive victory in the process.
