Ballyoptic edges out Bellshill

Bellshill was grabbed close home and had to settle for second in the Doom Bar Sefton Novices' Hurdle at Aintree.

It looked as though Patrick Mullins, deputising for Ruby Walsh, who had suffered two consecutive falls on the day, had timed his run right aboard the 11-2 favourite, producing him to join in with the action at the head of affairs approaching two out.

Although fluffing his lines at the second-last, the Willie Mullins-trained favourite still looked the likely winner, holding a comfortable advantage over the last.

However, as Bellshill wandered late on it allowed Ryan Hatch to galvanise another head of steam from the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Ballyoptic (9-1) to get up by a neck.

It was another notable victory in what has been a breakthrough season for 3lb claimer Hatch, who triumphed at Cheltenham aboard Blaklion in the RSA Chase and on Flying Angel in Sandown's Imperial Cup.

Hatch said: "The horses are flying at Nigel's, he's got some real good ones and I'm just lucky enough to be on them.

"The horse was very gutsy. I didn't meet the last running, but he has got going again and he's really stayed the trip. He's obviously a very nice horse.

"He was very keen in his last couple of runs, but in a better race he's settled. He was a joy to ride really. It's a fantastic place to ride a winner, I'm having a great season and I owe a lot to Nigel."

Twiston-Davies said: "It's brilliant. He's a lovely horse and he's improving like mad. We had no idea how good he was. He'd won his two hurdle races before really well and he's proved he's a top horse. He's obviously special.

"The owners have only just bought him, so they've had a quick return on their money.

"Thistlecrack won this race a year ago, so if we can follow in his footsteps even slightly it'll be good.

"Chasing is his future, but let's look at long-distance hurdles next season to start off with."