Tristan Durrell registered the first Grade One success of his career when steering Mirabad to a shock 50-1 success in the Hallgarten & Novum Wines Maghull Novices' Chase at Aintree.
It was Dan Skelton first string Be Aware in the front rank for most of the two-mile event alongside Willie Mullins’ 8-11 favourite Salvator Mundi, but the complexion of the race would change in the home straight.
The Closutton raider had beaten off the persistent threat of Be Aware when edging to the lead two out – but Durrell was statuesque aboard Mirabad in his shadows and on the long run to the last was simply waiting for his moment to pounce.
He jumped the final obstacle in front and galloped on to a six-length success to cap a fine year for Skelton’s number two, who struck aboard Panic Attack in Newbury’s Coral Gold Cup earlier in the season.
50-1 outsider lands the opener 😱
— Aintree Racecourse (@AintreeRaces) April 11, 2026
Mirabad powers through to win the Hallgarten & Novum Wines Maghull Novices' Chase 🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/nlc5wqE4lj
The result marked a remarkable change in fortunes for Mirabad, who kicked off the season with a disappointing run as a leading fancy for the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham in November on what was his first start for the Skelton team.
Skelton said: "I got the trip right, I just got the ground, the obstacles and the time of year wrong!
"After he ran the way he did in the Greatwood we said we can’t carry on like that, he’s going to have to go over fences to learn some manners.
"With a bit more experience, he’s learning to settle. We’ve ridden him today to do that and he’s got loads of ability, obviously.
"It’s great for Tristan. He’s going to be champion conditional this year and he’s a Grade One winner. Harry (Skelton) is getting older and we’ll need a (stable) jockey in five or six years or however long Harry has got left – I’m not retiring him!
"Tristan has just improved and improved. We hoped he’d be that rider for us, every time we send him out he gets a bit better and we’re very proud that he’s a homegrown talent."
Willie Mullins said of the runner-up: "He just didn’t jump as well as he can today, and I think that probably made the difference.
"He’ll go to Punchestown, of course he will. These horses have pretty light campaigns through the season so that when the spring festivals come around they can really get to work."
