Racing: Nacarat put up a superb round of jumping from the front to claim the totesport Bowl at Aintree under Paddy Brennan. Tom George's grey was soon powering along at the head of affairs in the Grade One event and always appeared to be enjoying himself out in front on Day One.
A couple of prodigious leaps heading down the back earned him a decent advantage turning into the straight and he managed to maintain the gallop on the final run for home.
Consistent mare Carole’s Legacy and Follow The Plan went in pursuit but Nacarat was not for catching, passing the post with six lengths in hand over the former.
Denman was sent off the hot favourite on the back of an excellent second in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but he was never travelling particularly well and came home fourth of the five runners.
"It's been a great 48 hours as we had a winner in France yesterday," George said. "A lot of hard work has gone into this horse and a lot of people deserve credit.
"We were never going to go to Cheltenham, but the big key today is the good ground. He's only had it twice previously in three years and he's won a Charlie Hall and a Racing Post Chase. Good horses do go on soft ground but he's so much better on good. Paddy gave him a great ride, he told me what he was going to do and I let him get on with it."
Brennan added: "Obviously Denman was the one we had to beat, but he loved the ground and was a fresh horse. It's wonderful for Tom George and the owner, Simon Clarke. He's a tremendous racehorse on that ground and he ran all the way to the line."
Big Buck's (4-6 favourite) was a facile winner of the BGC Partners Liverpool Hurdleand the first of a Paul Nicholls-Ruby Walsh double before Zarkandar made heavy weather of landing the odds in the Matalan Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle.
The eight-year-old Big Buck's had no such trouble and didn't come off the bridle when disposing a top-class field that incuded Ladbrokes World Hurdle runner-up Grands Crus (3-1).
David Pipe's gallant grey was once again second to Big Buck's and though he pulled seven lengths clear of third home Won In The Dark (66-1) he was truly put in his place by the winner.
Big Buck’s arrived at Aintree after the eight-year-old made history at Cheltenham last month when becoming the first horse to win three successive World Hurdle titles.
Always travelling strongly in the hands of Ruby Walsh, Big Buck’s was left in front before the turn for home as Knockara Beau weakened.
Grands Crus, like at Cheltenham, was the biggest danger, but while Tom Scudamore was hard at work on the grey, Walsh sat motionless on the favourite all the way up the home straight.
There was little to choose between the pair jumping the final flight, but Big Buck’s soon asserted under minimum driving to secure his 12th successive victory by five lengths.
Nicholls, who revealed before the race that Big Buck's had been off his food earlier in the week, said: "It just shows you that these things happen but we've always been positive. The girl who rides him was happy with him.
"He was awesome today, probably as good as ever. I think that was probably his best performance. Dan (Skelton, assistant) just said to me that he's the best horse we've ever had at Ditcheat and I'd have to agree. On that form today it's going to be a long while before he gets beat. He'll have a nice summer holiday now and then he'll go for the same four races next year. He won't go chasing."
Triumph Hurdle winner Zarkandar was less convincing under Walsh after being was sent off the 4-6 favourite, but maintained his unbeaten record over timber.
John Quinn’s Palawi set a strong gallop in front and was just coming to the end of his tether when he came down two-out, bringing down Nicky Henderson’s Grandouet who was still travelling well at the time.
That left Zarkandar in front of Kumbeshwar, who put up a stern fight but went down by a length and a quarter as the winner became the third horse after Detroit City and Katchit to do the Cheltenham-Aintree double.
Willie Twiston-Davies atoned for an unfortunate fall at Cheltenham with an all-the-way win on Baby Run in the John Smith's Fox Hunters' Chase.
The young jockey was trying to emulate his elder brother Sam in winning the Cheltenham version last season but came down at the second-last when still in front.
Employing bold front-running tactics again on his father Nigel’s horse, he saved enough for the long run-in after the last as Patrick Mullins arrived late on the scene on Boxer Georg, also trained by his father, Willie Mullins.
Sent off the 3-1 favourite, Baby Run had three-quarters of a length to spare while Offshore Account flew for third.
“This has been the best day of my life and it makes up for Cheltenham," Twiston-Davies jnr said. “I’d rather have won here than at Cheltenham and this is unbelievable.
“He’s some animal. He helped me out the whole time. He got in close to a couple but that was only because I wanted him to so I could fill him up for the home straight. I can’t believe I’m here and I can’t believe we’ve won.”
Wishfull Thinking filled the runner-up spot in the Jewson at Cheltenham and easily went one place better with a pillar-to-post victory in the totepool Manifesto Novices' Chase.
Arkle disappointment Medermit was sent off favourite, but he was never able to reel in 9-4 chance Wishfull Thinking and Richard Johnson, who came home with 10 lengths in hand.
Trainer Philip Hobbs said: “We were half thinking of the three-mile novice chase at Punchestown but after today, this trip seems to suit him so well you wonder if that’s the right thing to do, so I’m not sure.
“We saw him as a three-miler for next year yesterday but I’m not so sure now, he showed so much pace.”
The Howard Johnson-trained Silk Drum (9-1) was given a fine front-running ride by Paul Gallagher to claim the matalan.co.uk Red Rum Handicap Chase, while the closing Silver Cross Handicap Hurdlewent to Gordon Elliott's 16-1 shot Russian War under Paul Carberry.