Sol shines for Byrnes

A new king of the John Smith's Aintree Hurdle was crowned as Solwhit relegated three-time winner Al Eile to fourth.

Al Eile was the hero in 2005, 2007 and 2008 and gave his supporters plenty of excitement with a prominent showing but he was eventually run out of it by two new young Irish hopes.

Fiveforthree looked the likely winner after he cruised to the front approaching the final flight but the lightly-raced Solwhit and Davy Russell (6-1) began to reel him in inside the final 100 yards and got on top close home.

Winning trainer Charles Byrnes said: ’He's a great horse. We didn't want to put him in at two miles at Cheltenham at this stage of his career as he is only five and this was the obvious place.

‘Two miles or two and a half is no bother for him. We'll probably go to Punchestown but I think he could be competitive on the Flat as well.’

Ferdy Murphy's Kalahari King, who was beaten a nostril in the Arkle, gained compensation as he ran out an impressive winner of the John Smith's Maghull Novices' Chase.

Graham Lee was much more prominent throughout in this smaller field, never allowing the leaders much rope and the 9-4 chance scooted clear between the final two fences, going on to win by eight lengths.

Murphy said: ‘He's a very nice horse and is going the right way. The only times he has been beaten at Haydock and Cheltenham were when he didn't get his ground and he had traffic problems.

‘Maybe that is enough for the year but it is very tempting to look at Punchestown.’

Bouggler (16-1), now unbeaten in just two jumping starts, came out on top in a thrilling finish to the John Smith's Mersey Novices' Hurdle under Noel Fehily, defeating Copper Bleu by a head.

‘He's always had tons of ability,’ said trainer Emma Lavelle. ‘He's as tough as old boots. It was very difficult to assess him after his first run at Kempton because the others didn't run to form and he was very impressive, so it was difficult to know how he'd get on today.

‘He wanted a bit of a trip and I wanted to run him again before the end of the season otherwise he would have been basically a novice next season.’

Along with 100-1 winner of the National, there were two other 66-1 shocks.

Lucinda Russell's Culcabock nicked the John Smith's Handicap Hurdle by a short-head under young Campbell Gillies before Kate Walton's Sitting Tennant edged out 2-1 favourite Lidar in the John Smith's Champion Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Tony McCoy booted home the talented but underachieving Don't Push It (9-1) to victory in the John Smith's Handicap Chase for trainer Jonjo O'Neill.