Nick Alexander's Wakool (6-1) battled to a fine victory in the Grade Two Betfred Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock Park on Saturday afternoon.
The seven-year-old, under Conor O'Farrell, was in rear for much of the three-mile contest but came late to land a length-and-three-quarter success over Itchy Feet (4-1) with Randox Grand National hopeful Ashtown Lad (7-2) a further 10 lenghts back in third.
Wakool was landing his seventh success over hurdles but a first Grade Two victory and was cut to 12-1 from 20-1 for the Pertemps Final Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. And although he is qualified to line up at Prestbury Park, trainer Alexander doesn't expect him to feature.
He said: "He is tremendous horse and he has just kept progressing from his juvenile hurdles. It is a Grade Two so it is brilliant. He won over two miles (at Doncaster in January 2020) in his first handicap and has built on that and run nicely.
"I just thought he was never travelling. He only ran 13 days ago at Musselburgh and it was a hard race. It looked like it had come too soon for him until they turned for home and he suddenly came on the bridle.
"He hasn't been entered for the Pertemps but he would qualify. So I don't that he would go. Now he has won a Grade Two we would try and find another graded race but at this stage I wouldn't know where.
"Today was very much the plan. Because it is so close to Cheltenham it is quite often not the deepest Grade Two. I have had this in my mind for a long time if we were ever going to have a go at a graded race and it worked."
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The Dan Skelton-trained Ashtown Lad – who won over the big Aintree obstacles in the Boylesports Becher Chase in December – ran a decent prep going well for a long way before fading into third ahead of a possible crack at the Grand National at Aintree Racecourse on April 15. Connections will now await what weight Ashtown Lad – and fellow National entrant from the stable Le Milos – is given by British Horseracing Authority lead jumps handicapper Martin Greenwood when they are revealed at the traditional weights lunch at St George's Hall on Tuesday.
But he could make a return to Aintree in eight weeks time alongside stable-mate and Coral Gold Cup Handicap Chase hero Le Milos. Ashtown Lad is now a best-priced 33-1 with Paddy Power, Skybet and BetVictor with Le Milos 25-1 with bet365 and BetVictor.
Gary Moore's Bo Zenith (9-4 favourite) ran out a smart winner of the Betfred Victor Ludorum Juvenile Hurdle and he could head to next month’s Cheltenham Festival.
Under Tom Cannon, the four-year-old French import bounced back from a debut defeat at Sandown to open his account for trainer Moore in good style. Having sat in the middle of the pack for much of the race, Bo Zenith made his move on the turn for home. He hit the front after the last flight and battled all the way to the line, scoring by three-and-three-quarters-of-a-length from Brian Ellison's Cianciano (11-1) with Punta Del Esta (4-1) a further three-quarters-of-a-length back in third.
Winning jockey Cannon suggested the Boodles Juvenile Hurdle at Prestbury Park could be a possible target and Bo Zenith was cut to 12-1 from 16-1 with Paddy Power for the JCB Triumph Hurdle on March 17. But trainer Moore, who wasn't at Haydock, will wait before making any firm plans for his promising juvenile.
He said: "He was so disappointing at Sandown. I thought I'd found the worst race I could possibly have found and I couldn't believe he got beat.
"I'd hate to think he wasn't fit enough. Maybe he just hadn't quite come to himself and maybe the heavy ground at Sandown didn't suit him as much as I thought it would.
"I've only listened to the race today on the radio and I haven't spoken to Tom (Cannon) yet, so I wouldn't want to comment on his performance too much, but it's nice he's gone and won. I'll speak to the owners and make a plan from there."
Cannon added: "It was a very nice performance and I think they drew a line under his run at Sandown. Jamie (Moore), Gary (Moore) and everyone just said they think he would come on for that first run. And he proved them right, so well done to them.
"It was tight enough and it is only his third go, so he was a little bit green at one stage of the race. But he will come on mentally as well for that. But he did everything right.
"He has got the size and scope to do well. It is nice he has won today. He would run well (in the Boodles). If he came on and was in that form, and that upward trajectory, he could go well in something like that. He was doing his best work late on. At one point he looked like he may been in trouble but I gave him a couple of reminders and he picked up nicely the whole way up the straight. He did his best work late on and it was perfect."
