Aintree report: Kauto Star might have been a couple of hundred miles to the south in the rural calm of Somerset but the Gold Cup hero received another boost to his already sky-high reputation in Liverpool yesterday as Exotic Dancer pulled off a ruthlessly effective victory in the Betfair Bowl.
Exotic Dancer had been the only one to ruffle an otherwise serene performance by Kauto Star at Cheltenham a month before and there was an authority to his defeat of My Will and Our Vic yesterday that added even further sheen to that form.
Despite a less than fluent first circuit of jumping, Tony McCoy barely had to move in the closing stages and there was even enough in it to have the champion jockey pondering his chances against his old rival next season.
"He was very impressive. He's got loads of class," he said. "Kauto Star is the superstar that everyone said he was but we'll look forward to having another go next year."
First, though, Exotic Dancer will attempt to add another big handicap prize to this season's haul in the Betfred at Sandown at the end of the month.
"It's a pity Kauto Star has been around this year but that's the way it goes. In fairness he was entitled to win today but to keep holding his form shows what a good horse he is - even I can't mess him up!" grinned Jonjo O'Neill who later saddled the ex-Ballydoyle trained Two Miles West to just win the concluding handicap for owner JP McManus.
Exotic Dancer is as low as 7 to 1 to go one better in the 2008 Gold Cup.
O'Neill and McCoy had earlier had to make do with the runner-up position as Black Jack Ketchum came up 13 lengths short of coping with the impressive Mighty Man whose Liverpool Hurdle success was his third victory from three starts at Aintree.
Henry Daly's horse routed Inglis Drever, the horse that denied him the World Hurdle crown at Cheltenham, into third and may now line up against Hardy Eustace et al for the Stayers crown at Punchestown.
"All things being equal, the plan is to go to Punchestown," confirmed Daly, while jockey Richard Johnson added: "At Cheltenham the undulations don't suit him and they seem to get away from him down the hill. He has to play catch up. But Aintree must be his favourite place."
Jonjo O'Neill said of Black Jack Ketchum: "Maybe he didn't stay so all the options are open. But he has been beaten by a horse who is very good around here."
The day's Grade One honours in the four-year-old hurdle fell as expected to the hot favourite Katchit who followed up his Triumph success at Cheltenham with a four-length defeat of Punjabi.
"Originally the plan was to go chasing next year but now there's a five-year-old allowance in the Arkle, that plan has been rather messed up. He will go the hurdling route. He could start off in the Bula at Cheltenham."
Nina Carberry's mount Where Now did best of the seven Irish runners in third the first race of the week over the big fences in the Foxhunters.
However, she was well behind both Scots Grey and Pak Jack who fought out a dramatic finish with the Nicky Henderson horse coming back bravely to secure a half-length victory.
The nearest the Irish came to avoiding an opening day washout came when Wins Now was challenging Tidal Bay for the lead in the Grade Two Mersey Hurdle only for Niall Madden's horse to make a dreadful error at the last and hand victory on a plate to Paddy Brennan's mount.
"It's hard to say if the mistake at the last cost Wins Now as the winner certainly wasn't stopping. But in any case our horse ran very well," said JP McManus's racing manager Frank Berry.
Ruby Walsh also drew a blank and had to give up his last two remaining rides after taking a crashing fall from Andreas at the second last in the Red Rum Chase.
Hedgehunter's intended jockey is due to ride today but will have to clear a doctor's examination first. Walsh described himself as "sore" but is confident of getting the green light today.
The Red Rum was eventually won by Bambi De L'Orme who beat off Marshall Hall in a tight finish.
