Cheltenham Festival absentee Banbridge struck Grade One gold in the Racehorse Lotto Manifesto Novices' Chase, the opening race of the Grand National meeting at Aintree.
Winner of the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Hurdle at Cheltenham last season, Joseph O'Brien's charge subsequently failed to fire on Merseyside - but it was a very different story 12 months on.
Banbridge made an excellent start to his career over fences in the autumn, winning at Gowran and Cheltenham, and after being placed in the Drinmore and the Irish Arkle the seven-year-old was due to contest the Turners' Novices' Chase at the Festival but was taken out due to unsuitable ground.
With that freshness advantage perhaps key, the 2-1 shot raced on the heels of the Turners' Novices' Chase winner Stage Star for much of the two-and-a-half-mile journey before taking over halfway up the straight in the hands of JJ Slevin.
Saint Roi came from further back in an attempt to launch a challenge after the final fence, but Banbridge was always doing enough in front and passed the post with a length and a half in hand.
Favourite Stage Star weakened to finish last of the five runners.
Hot favourite Zenta (5-4F) edged out the gallant Bo Zenith in a thrilling climax to the Jewson Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle.
Having placed third as part of a Willie Mullins one-two-three-four in last month's Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, Zenta was the clear form pick.
After travelling powerfully in midfield in the hands of Mark Walsh, the JP McManus-owned filly moved towards the front end still full of running early in the home straight, at which stage it looked a case of how far she would win by.
But in Gary Moore’s dual winner Bo Zenith she came up against a rival who refused to go down without a fight, setting up a titanic tussle on the run-in.
No quarter was given by either horse or jockey, but much to the delight of favourite-backers it was Zenta who had her head down when it mattered.
Nusret, bidding to give Joseph O’Brien a Grade One double following the opening-race success of Banbridge, was five lengths further back in third.
Famous Clermont (9-2) provided top amateur Will Biddick with his first victory in the Foxhunters' Open Hunters’ Chase.
The two-mile-five-furlong contest is the only race run over Grand National fences confined to amateur riders and has previously been won by the likes Nina Carberry, Jamie Codd and last year’s Grand National hero Sam Waley-Cohen.
Having impressed in winning hunter chases at Wincanton and Haydock in February before finishing sixth at the Cheltenham Festival last month, the Chris Barber-trained Famous Clermont was among the market principals and was among several still in with a chance leaving the back straight.
Biddick appeared keen to deliver his challenge late, but had no option but to allow his mount to stride to the front before the elbow and he only had to be nudged out from there home to win comfortably by just under five lengths.
Bennys King filled the runner-up spot, with Lough Derg Spirit third and last year’s winner Latenightpass a creditable fourth after giving a bold sight in front for a long way.
There was, however, a sad postscript, with Aintree confirming the Keiran Burke-trained Envoye Special was unable to be saved following a fall while running loose after unseating at the ninth fence.
Dysart Enos (13-2) ran out a wide-margin winner of the Goffs UK Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race under Paddy Brennan.
The five-year-old had looked a smart prospect in winning her first two bumper starts for Fergal O’Brien, particularly when beating the highly-rated Queens Gamble in a Market Rasen Listed event on her most recent outing.
She faced another hike in class for this Grade Two test, but proved more than up to the task as she powered nine lengths clear of runner-up Golden Ace, allowing Brennan to punch the air passing the post – celebrating his birthday in style.
Rachael Blackmore steered last year’s runner-up Dancing On My Own (15-2) to go one better in the Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase.
Henry de Bromhead’s nine-year-old had been well beaten in two previous outings this season, both at Fairyhouse, but a return to Aintree conjured a return to form as he finished strongly to deny the bold-jumping Douglas Talking by a length and a half.
