So close to an amazing double-treble for Willie Mullins - and he has ten months to recover before launching his next British raid

Motivation is everything. Willie Mullins used to have a surprisingly poor record in British handicap chases, but on Saturday he got within a length of completing the Grand National-Scottish National-bet365 Gold Cup treble for a second consecutive year. 

It was the unheralded Lombron, sent off at 10-1 after being available at 18-1 the night before, who came closest of his ten runners in Sandown's feature, briefly going odds-on after cruising to the fore under Rachael Blackmore, her only ride on the card. There are always a few horses on jumps finale day who look in need of a holiday, but Lombron, the only six-year-old in the bet365 and tackling his first handicap, travelled sweetly.

A mistake at the second-last of the Railway fences can't have helped, but he seemed in charge over the final fence. Then his head came up and his ears did a lot of flicking around as Resplendent Grey swept past. Lombron might need delivering even later in the future.