Identity Thief steals the show on his first try over three miles

Having provided Gigginstown House Stud's Michael and Eddie O'Leary with a first victory in their own race at Cheltenham with Balko Des Flos, Henry de Bromhead repeated the trick at Aintree as Identity Thief proved a hurdler reborn in the Ryanair Stayers Hurdle.

A former top-class two-mile hurdler who won the 2015 Fighting Fifth, Identity Thief seemed to relish his first attempt over staying distances.

After travelling into the extended three-mile contest powerfully, the 14-1 shot sprinted clear of Wholestone to score by five lengths, with 6-5 favourite Sam Spinner a further ten lengths back in third.

Identity Thief: clearing away from WholestoneCredit: Alex Livesey

De Bromhead was thrilled to have Identity Thief back to form and hailed the input of jockey Sean Flanagan, who only got on board the eight-year-old at the start of the season.

The trainer said: "Fair play to Sean, it was his suggestion to go three miles. You have to stay – we didn't know whether he would or not – but after the way he ran in the Champion Hurdle, we hoped he would.

"It's great to have him back as I got disappointed with him over fences. He was just getting jumped out of it and this may open up options."

Flanagan, a key cog in Noel Meade's operation who was registering his first top-flight success in Britain, said: "I've been lucky to ride him all season and after the way he ran in the Champion Hurdle, when he travelled well early and just hit a flat spot mid-race before staying on well at the end, I thought he'd probably get three miles.

"He's such a classy horse that he was able to travel nicely and he stayed on well. I got a few gaps and he jumped his way there – he did it very easily as he's a very classy horse on his day. He rides like a very good horse over three miles."

Whole host of emotions

De Bromhead and O'Leary had earlier suffered the disappointment of Petit Mouchoir getting turned over as the 4-5 favourite in the Doom Bar Maghull Novices' Chase.

However, the victory more than made up for it, as O'Leary explained, saying: "It took me 15 years to win the first one [Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham] and now I've managed to win two in a month.

Henry de Bromhead: saddled Balko Des Flos to win Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham last monthCredit: Patrick McCann

"It's a bit like buses - you wait for them for ages and a whole stack of them come along. Henry won the Ryanair at Cheltenham with Balko Des Flos, which was certainly one of the high points of my year.

"It's lovely to have a winner here. We had a little bit of disappointment with Petit Mouchoir earlier but that certainly makes up for it.

"It opens up another avenue now and we'll keep him to three-mile hurdling. He'll definitely go to Punchestown – everything's going to Punchestown."

Cheltenham form upheld

The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Wholestone confirmed the form of the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham by again finishing in front of Sam Spinner, who was ten lengths in arrears after jumping clumsily.

Twiston-Davies said: "He's run superbly and proved once again that he's the best stayer in England, but not Ireland."

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