Ballyoptic does the business as owners eye World Hurdle bid

The World Hurdle dream is alive and kicking for connections of Ballyoptic, who ran out a commanding winner of the £50,000 Grade 3 totepool Silver Trophy.

Successful in the Sefton Novices' Hurdle at Aintree in April, the six-year-old is a top-price 20-1 with Ladbrokes for the three-mile hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, which is exactly where owners David Mason and Fred Mills - sporting West Ham-themed ties to match their ace's colours - want to end up.

"Fred's a West Ham fan, but I support Sunderland so our other horse Ballymalin runs in red and white," explained Mason, before being whisked off for a celebratory glass of champagne.