JP McManus must be wishing he had a runner in tomorrow's Martell Grand National because this Liverpool meeting threatens to copper-fasten his lead at the top of the owners' table in Britain.
A thrilling victory for the evergreen Elegant Lord in the Foxhunters, an impressively smooth success for Joe Mac in the opening novices' hurdle and honourable second placings for Grimes, Afarad and Darapour earned the legendary Irish businessman £46,175 in prizemoney yesterday and brought his seasonal total in Britain to over £300,000.
That gives McManus a clear lead in the table over David Johnson, who will be hoping Eudipe gives his leadership ambition a boost in the National. For now, however, McManus is in charge, not that Elegant Lord's success was about money.
The 11-year-old has dominated the Irish hunter chase scene in recent years, winning the 1996 Foxhunters at Cheltenham and gaining revenge for his Liverpool defeat last year with a resounding success over Mely Moss to record a first Irish success in the race since 1983.
Very much a family favourite, trainer Enda Bolger admitted his heart was in his mouth when Elegant Lord overjumped Bechers Brook, nosed the ground on landing and threatened to send Philip Fenton out the side door. The partnership recovered so well, however, that they accelerated clear of Mely Moss from the last in the style that Bolger wished he had done last year.
"He didn't feel the same last year after he came back from leg trouble but this season has been different. Still, I didn't think he'd quicken like he did. It's great that he will now rank with the best hunters," enthused Bolger, who could avoid Punchestown with the horse if Castle Mane travels.
Joe Mac was never out of a canter to beat Grecian Dart in the opener and gave rider Conor O'Dwyer an ideal 33rd birthday present. "It was as easy as it looked," grinned O'Dwyer, while trainer Christy Roche was glad that Joe Mac finally showed on the track what he has been producing at home.
"I was very disappointed with him at Cheltenham because his home work is unbelievable. He'll go to Punchestown and I wouldn't mind running him over two and a half miles," said Roche while McManus added: "Cardinal Hill is also going to Punchestown and one will run in the two mile race and one in the two and a half."
Grimes made a fine chasing debut in the Maghull Chase but couldn't match the Arkle winner, Flagship Uberalles, who won by nine lengths. "For a first run, you couldn't ask for more," said O'Dwyer.
Flagship Uberalles is unlikely to travel to Punchestown, waiting instead for Ayr, while Roche said of Grimes: "He had a 24-hour bug after Christmas and it looked like we might lose him. I think we'll keep him a novice for next season, rather than go to Punchestown."
Afarad ran the hotpot Hors La Loi to three and a half lengths in the Glenlivet, a race that provoked the winner's owner Paul Green to ignore Hors La Loi's huge purchase price of a reported £250,000 and say: "I'll be a long time dead and I can't watch him from six feet under!"
Darapour looked all over the winner of the last race at the second last but couldn't hold off Papo Kharisma, who was a chance ride for Adrian Maguire after Richard Dunwoody cried off his last two rides due to dehydration. Maguire had earlier landed the Martell Cup on the outsider, MacGeorge, who grabbed the initiative early.
