Cyclop has one eye on revenge mission as Amiral is denied again

The Lincolnshire National, the only time the 3m3½f start is used all year, went to Cyclop, who just held off the 2016 runner-up Amiral Collonges in a thrilling finish.

Trainer David Dennis said of the winner, who had himself been touched off in the Southern National last time: "I'm just relieved he's held on, I'd have been gutted had he lost because he was up with the pace all the way.

"I thought the other horse was going to get him at one point, after he missed the last a bit. It was unusual, he travelled better than our lad but it was us who ended up looking for the line."