Cloth Cap proves a perfect Trophy fit after storming home under happy Scudamore

The Ladbrokes Trophy might be only four years old in its current guise but the race is among the most historic and prestigious in the British calendar and the electric front-running success of Cloth Cap had jumping shot right through its core.

Jonjo O'Neill overcame cancer to stamp his name in the sport's history first as a jockey and then trainer, while rider Tom Scudamore hails from one of jump racing's first families.

If that were not enough, the son of Beneficial, who has long been regarded as a contender for major staying chases and carried bottom weight of 10st, carries the distinctive green, yellow and white silks of owner Trevor Hemmings, who harbours Grand National aspirations for every horse he buys and had won the race with Trabolgan and Many Clouds.

The coronavirus pandemic means Hemmings will not be purchasing many more and this autumn he dispersed the majority of his string. But Cloth Cap, who provided evidence of his credentials for the £200,000 event when fourth in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr last year, was not on the transfer list and kind conditions at Newbury – something far from guaranteed for the track's winter highlight – helped him run his rivals ragged.

Cloth Cap is relentless under Tom ScudamoreCredit: Alan Crowhurst

He came home a comfortable ten lengths clear of Scottish raider Aye Right and The Conditional, with The Hollow Ginge in fourth in a contest that had had an open look to it before the eight-year-old turned it into a one-horse race.

An emotional O'Neill, congratulated by Newbury chairman Dominic Burke and then embraced by son Jonjo Jr – who unseated from Mister Malarky – said: "All I said to Tom was that he gets four miles and the rest was down to him.

"Tom wouldn't be a regular rider for me, but his agent Dave Roberts suggested him. We needed someone to do 10st and I couldn't do it, so we thought Tom was the next best thing."

O'Neill, who was second on Tamalin behind Zeta's Son in the 1976 Hennessy Gold Cup as a jockey, added: "It'd be great to win it for anybody, but to win it for Trevor is wonderful because he loves long-distance chases. We've been trying to get the horse rated high enough to run in the National and he's probably done that now."

Ladbrokes, who took over this sponsorship from Hennessy in 2017, make Cloth Cap 25-1 for racing's most famous prize at Aintree.

While Cloth Cap was providing O'Neill with a first triumph in the Grade 3, it was a third for Scudamore, who equalled the haul of the late Willie Robinson, who died in August.

The eight-year-old produces another perfect leapCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Revered as one of the weighing room's warmest and most popular members, the 38-year-old, whose father Peter was a multiple champion jockey and grandfather Michael a Grand National-winning one, was enjoying his first winner for O'Neill.

"I just wanted to get a good start," he reflected of an early lead that was never relinquished. "I thought the important bit was the first four or five fences as I didn't want to get too far back, and I'd never get at them. When he went and winged the first ditch I thought I could be in for quite a thrill and so it turned out.

"I went and sat on him in the week and bored Jonjo, who goes back a long way with Dad, to death talking about stories from the past. It was a great morning and a great result this afternoon.

"Jonjo is just about the best trainer of staying chasers there is; he's won Grand Nationals, Irish Nationals, Gold Cups – he beat me on The Giant Bolster in a Gold Cup with Synchronised so I just about forgive him now."

Scudamore, whose previous victories in the race came on Madison Du Berlais (2008) and Sizing Tennessee (2018), added: "Growing up I always felt it was one of the classics, so to win it again is a huge thrill. It's one of the best races."

Hennessy, Ladbrokes Trophy, call it what you like, it's clear what winning it means.

Members can read in-depth reports from daily race meetings every evening