Christy Beamish prominent, mistake 10th (Bechers), led 2 out, stayed on to forge clear after elbow

Katarino tracked leadrers, led 9th until 2 out, still upsides elbow, 3 lengths down when heavily eased closing stages

Holy Joe with leaders, led after 4th, headed 9th, one pace from 2 out, 3 lengths 3rd when hit last, eased last 75yds

Sonevafushi chased leaders, one pace from 2 out

Thisthatandtother prominent, hampered 10th (Bechers), soon lost place, rallied 4 out, chasing leaders after next, soon weakened

Eskimo Jack mid-division, headway to chase leaders 8th, pecked 10th (Bechers), effort 14th, outpaced approaching 2 out, soon lost place

Where Now chased leaders, mistake and lost place 10th (Bechers), headway and in touch 4 out, outpaced when mistake next, soon lost place

Arctic Times chased leaders, ridden 14th, lost place approaching 2 out

Whitenzo held up in mid-division, headway when mistake 8th, 6th when mistake 12th (Canal Turn), lost place approaching 2 out, modest 8th when eased run-in

Fiori prominent, not jump well, mistake 4th (Chair), lost place and blundered 8th, tailed off 4 out

Younowhat soon detached in rear, tailed off from 5th, eventually completed

Adventino in rear, some headway 8th, weakening when mistake 4 out

Scots Grey led until after 4th, with leaders, driven along when blundered and unseated rider 14th

Mooramana in rear, mistake 7th, behind when fell 10th (Bechers)

Alvino in rear, behind from 8th, tailed off when pulled up before 2 out

Jacksonville in rear, mistake and unseated rider 3rd (Chair)

Encore Cadoudal towards rear when mistake and unseated rider 3rd (Chair)

Viscount Bankes prominent, fell 10th (Bechers)

Buckby Lane chased leaders, fell 8th

A fine spectacle and the main protaganists fought out a stirring finish but it remains disappointing that the average age was nearly 12 and there were two or three who had no right to line up with the race seriously lacking any younger blood.

The result was a reversal of the first two placings from the 2006 running with CHRISTY BEAMISH gaining revenge on Katarino, who ran an astonishing race on the back of just one warm-up run last month after a year off, narrowly failing to land a treble in this race. Christy Beamish crashed out mid-race in the Cheltenham Foxhunter and he was lucky not to do the same here as he got Becher’s all wrong but his most promising young rider picked him off the floor to travel back into the race, always looking the likelier winner as a group of nine contenders at the end of the back straight crossing the Melling Road, was quickly whittled down to just four contenders jumping two out. His jumping must remain a concern and whether he tries to follow up at Punchestown must be debatable after this tough race and his stamina is a doubt for any thought of returning for Stratford’s feature.

The revision of the 2006 result was not hard to fathom with Katarino coming in on the back of a far from ideal preparation and Christy Beamish in flying form with bundles of successes between the flags. Katarino only gave best at the elbow and he got very leg weary in the last 50yds to accentuate his beating. A worry that he might have hurt himself again proved unfounded but plans for his future remain fluid as always with this former Triumph Hurdle winner, whose touch of class has carried him to the heights in this field.

Holy Joe has run to form even though he could have done with softer ground to slow the others down over this in-between trip. He was always in the firing line and made light of a last-fence mistake to hold third well from Sonevafushi, who found this more to his liking than the Grand National last year. This former leading staying hurdler is enjoying his hunter chase career and is one who could be back for more next year.

Eskimo Jack stepped up slightly on last year’s effort in this but essentially does nothave the pace at the business end over this trip, although he was staying on to nearly nab fifth in the last 100yds. A similar remark applies to Where Now, who was in the thick of the early action but could not repeat his third of last year with a blunder three out not helping his cause as they jostled for the dash off the home bend.

Arctic Times tried to go with the furious early pace but had to yield by the turn into the back straight. He latched back on in ninth three out but was again leftbehind and could only plug on at the one pace to do little for the Cheltenham form. That tough race may have taken the edge off him while the tempo of this shorter race also caught him out.

Whitenzo took his usual enthusiastic hold towards the rear of midfield but a mistake at the canal turn when in fifth looked to put him off and he was beaten before the home turn.

Fiori made a series of mistakes, starting at the Chair (third) and could never get competitive. Last year’s winner Scots Grey got in close to a few early and was starting to be niggled along in fifth but still well in contention when slipping and unseating his rider.

Buckby Lane raced close up and looked to be enjoying himself when completely misjudging a fence and turning turtle in spectacular fashion but getting up and dusting himself down fortunately. [BJ]

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