Lion roars at the death to reel in Highland

It looked for a long way in the Becher Chase at Aintree that Highland Lodge was going to repeat his front-running victory of 12 months ago and he was backed down to 1.06 on Betfair when his rivals seemed to have cried enough halfway up the run-in. However, the line wouldn’t come in time for Jimmy Moffatt’s brave gelding, who may well have been idling, and Vieux Lion Rouge nipped up his inside to claim the prize after trading at 900 (£2 matched).

The progressive Byron Flyer travelled so well approaching the final flight in the 2m4f handicap hurdle at Aintree
that he was matched at 1.21 to win and 1.01 to place, but he began to hang left and folded tamely on the run-in, finishing fifth.

In the 2m2f maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse, more than £1,100 was traded on Capital Force at 1.01 as he made his challenge up the far rail, but that looked overly optimistic as he was
under pressure and never
more than half a length in front and Runfordave (80) rallied gamely to get up in the final strides.