Hiddenvalley Lake won the Ivy Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree | report and replay

Third behind Strong Leader and Buddy One in last year's renewal of the Grade 1, Hiddenvalley Lake comprehensively reversed the form, winning by lengths.

The winner was owned by Robcour whose colours were also set to be represented by morning line favourite Teahupoo who was a late withdrawal due to the drying ground. In his absence Kitzbuhel was made favourite on his third start for Willie Mullins having won the other two over two miles.

Kitzbuhel pulled for his head early as Paul Townend struggled to settle him in fourth but then dropped towards the rear once persuaded to drop the bit. Meanwhile, Monmiral and Strong Leader continued to cut out the running in a fairly well bunched field and that was still the case as they straightened for home with nine runners covered by around half a dozen lengths.

Home By The Lee was not among them but Jetara had pulled her way to the front rank along with Gwennie May Boy, a winner of a handicap on this card last year, to make a line of four jumping the third last.

Gwennie May Boy dropped out tamely but Hiddenvalley Lake soon joined issue and quickly put the race to bed, quickening into a clear lead and running on to score by two and a half lengths.

Strong Leader rallied to reclaim second from Jetara with The Wallpark, who had a reminder after the first and raced on and off the bridle, staying on from the rear to be a never nearer fourth.

De Bromhead said: "Delighted with him. Super ride from Darragh. And delighted for Robcour, they're great supporters of ours and the game.

"He's a lovely horse, only just chinned at Ascot [in the Long Walk Hurdle], bit disappointing at Gowran but lovely to have him back. With Teahupoo coming out it’s worked out really well for us and he did it well. He really stuck at it. I always thought he wanted softer ground and I was a bit nervous about the ground but you could argue he’s improved for it."

O’Keeffe added: "He did for sure [deserve a big win]. Henry had a big deal to do with this. There was no pace looking at the race and we were toying with the idea of making the running on him, but Henry came back in and said, ‘Just ride him the way you normally do and if it works out, great’. We were unsure about the ground, but he handled it brilliantly. He travelled into it so well, had a good jump at the third last and the same at the second last. He had a look in front, but he stays really well.

“I’m very privileged to be able to pick up rides for him and great to ride a big winner for Robcour as well, they’ve given me plenty of chances throughout the season. I was pipped with this lad in the Long Walk and just delighted that he’s won today.

“It’s brilliant [to win a Grade One], especially to do it here. I hit the cross-bar a few times at Cheltenham and it’s great to knock one in at Aintree. I’m grateful to Henry and the owners for putting me up on him. I was just touched off on him in the Long Walk Hurdle, so it’s nice to come and get his day today.

“We went a nice gallop, and he stays well, but he can be a little bit keen, so I wanted to get him settled and into a nice rhythm. I thought if he was back to himself, he’d run well, and he did. He hit a bit of a flat spot before I turned in, but once I got him some air he jumped well and picked up and stayed on to the line.

“My family are here and it’s great to have them here and to have a winner on Grand National day.”

Olly Murphy said of the runner-up Strong Leader: “He ran very well.

"He jumped well on the whole, just probably missed a couple of hurdles at a crucial time. He’s backed up his run from last year. He’s just a horse who needs to be kept to a flat track now and I think we’ll campaign him a bit differently next year. There’s another one of these in him. I think he likes nice ground - he’s run very well.”

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