Fringe makes it a double double

On The Fringe completed the Cheltenham-Aintree double for a second successive season with a smooth victory in the Crabbie's Fox Hunters' Chase.

The 15/8 favourite could be called the winner from some way out as he travelled powerfully throughout and tracked the ridden-along leader Dineur (50/1) to the final fence.

That rival battled on well to finish second but was no match for the Enda Bolger-trained winner on the long run-in as the market leader stormed clear to score by eight lengths. Mendip Express (11/1) took third, a further length-and-a-quarter adrift.

Winning jockey Jamie Codd, who replaced the suspended Nina Carberry, said: "I'm just so fortunate to be in a position to ride a horse like this, I am very sorry that Nina couldn't ride him today, but it's a bit of luck on my side. He is a brilliant horse and I'm very lucky John Thomas McNamara and Nina Carberry and Enda Bolger have done the groundwork. I'm just lucky to ride him.

"Enda will fill you with confidence. I rode him at Leopardstown just after Christmas and they have all done a brilliant job. I'm only sitting here today as a chance spare ride and I'm lucky to get it."