Minella Drama went one better than 12 months ago when making all the running to win Sunday's Virgin Bet Old Roan Limited Handicap Chase.
The Donald McCain-trained nine-year-old was competing from 1lb out of the handicap due to top-weight Ahoy Senor's lofty official rating of 169, but jockey Brian Hughes kept things simple out in front and the horse responded willingly when challenged, despite not putting in a perfect round of jumping.
Sent off at 3/1 under the three-time jockey jockey Hughes, who was claiming a third career success in the Aintree feature, Minella Drama went one better than when second to Jetoile last year with a one and three-quarter-length victory over Paul Nicholls' Hitman (11/2), who laid down a challenge at the final fence but couldn't get by the game winner who was making his seasonal return.
There was an eyecatching late run from Ahoy Senor (11/2) who came from the rear of the field to take third close home, while Nicholls' apparent first-string Stage Star, the 2/1 favourite under Harry Cobden, was never too far off the early gallop but his run flattened out late to finish fourth.
Unexpected Party, Dan Skelton's Grand Annual winner from last March, was last of the five runners at odds of 4/1.
McCain said: “It’s magic, he’s been a wonderful little horse who has deserved his big day.
“There’s no better place for him to do it. It’s what it is all about and if we could pick and choose where for him to win, this would be the place. He’s got local owners and obviously we’re a local yard so it’s very special.
“He’s got some good form here and was second in the Grade One novice hurdle so obviously likes the place and I’m sure we will be coming back here at some point.”
He was given a quote of 16/1 (from 20s) by Paddy Power for the Grand Sefton Chase over the Grand National fences back at Aintree next month, but McCain has no particular target in mind at this stage having won his local track’s first major race of the new season.
He continued: “I’ve always been inclined – because he is so tough – to over-race him a bit, but I don’t know whether I should take a patience pill now he’s won his big one and give him chance to regroup. We’ll get home and sort it out and there’s no great plan.
“He hates turning right out of the yard to go south, he likes going north. It sounds ridiculous, but he lost the plot down at Ascot last year, I could have not even saddled him up he was that upset beforehand. There’s no rhyme or reason to it that’s just him, so we will take our time.”
Hughes said: "I don’t get many opportunities to ride those sort of winners. I’d say this guy has been our flagship horse for a few years now and he deserved it. He’s been placed in this race and a Melling Chase, so it’s good he got his day in the sun.
"Stage Star and Lucinda’s horse (Ahoy Senor) kept the weight down for him. He’s a handy horse and is usually carrying 11st 7lbs upwards, so with 10st 6lbs today we sort of fancied his chances after the way he ran here last year.
"I didn’t really want to fire him into the last but he was quick away from it and it was good to get the winner. It’s a good race to win and I wouldn’t mind a few more like him!"
Freddie Gingell, rider of the runner-up Hitman, said: “He gave me a very good spin and we probably just bumped into one.
“He was the outsider today and ran a blinder.”
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