50-1 shot Ultragold clinches the Topham Chase as trainer Colin Tizzard seals a 4,334-1 treble at Aintree
Grand National 2017: The sensational treble was completed when long shot Ultragold won the Topham Chase under 18-year-old Harry Cobden
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Your support makes all the difference.Aintree belonged to Colin Tizzard as the Dorset trainer took Ladies' Day by storm with a sensational 4,334-1 treble.
While Pingshou (16-1) and Fox Norton (4-1) claimed two of the four Grade Ones on the card, Ultragold capped the day by causing a 50-1 upset in the Randox Health Topham Handicap Chase over the Grand National fences.
Fox Norton emerged as a possible contender for the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day after he took the step up from two miles to two and a half in his stride with a clear-cut success in the JLT Melling Chase.
Robbie Power kicked on over two out and continued to pour on the pressure with a bold leap sealing victory as he won eased-down by six lengths from favourite Sub Lieutenant.
"It took all of two miles last year for him to get into third in the Arkle. He's not very fast at home when you think he would be but I think he'll make up into a King George horse," said Tizzard.
"That's seven Grade Ones this season which is lovely. We had a good time early in the season and then we had to go through a bit of pain, but that's all gone now."
Tizzard, winning owners Alan and Ann Potts and their new retained rider Power had earlier taken the Crabbie's Top Novices' Hurdle with Pingshou.
Opening up a healthy lead down towards the penultimate flight, Pingshou had all his rivals cooked, although Mount Mews emerged from the chasing pack to claim second place, four and a half lengths behind the winner.
Ultragold bounced back to form after a few poor efforts when enjoying the National fences to land the Topham under Harry Cobden.
Although Irish raider Katnap threw down a late challenge in the closing strides, Ultragold was not for passing with a length splitting the pair and a further six lengths back to Portrait King in third.
At Kempton, Fox Norton could face Might Bite, who laid the ghost of his Cheltenham antics with a more orthodox victory over stablemate Whisper.
Nicky Henderson's highly talented eight-year-old is a 3-1 chance for the King George after he supplemented his RSA Chase success in the Betway Mildmay Novices' Chase.
Thankfully there was no repeat of his wayward behaviour after jumping the last and though Whisper put in a strong challenge, Might Bite was simply too good and went on to win by two lengths under Nico de Boinville.
"I think when you consider what Might Bite did at Kempton, the King George would be the obvious race. With Whisper you'd be looking at something like the Hennessy," said Henderson of the 8-13 favourite.
"He'd probably start in something like the Betfair and then the King George."
Henderson kick-started the day by saddling the first and fourth in the Alder Hey Children's Charity Handicap Hurdle.
The trainer said he could not really split his pair, but Rather Be (10-1) was the undoubted winner as he saw off the J P McManus-owned duo of Dream Berry and Geordie Des Champs with the winner's stablemate Thomas Campbell in fourth.
The other Grade One on the card went to the Tom George-trained The Worlds End (3-1) who compensated for a fall at Cheltenham with a hard-fought success in the Doom Bar Sefton Novices' Hurdle.
Always travelling smoothly in the hands of Adrian Heskin, the six-year-old held Beyond Conceit by half a length to give the winning rider his 50th success of the season in his first season as George's stable jockey.
George said: "That's made up for Cheltenham. He was travelling very easily that day. He had a hard fall and we've done a lot of schooling with him. I might go the route I don't normally take and stick to hurdles, but we'll see how he is."
Lalor (33-1) provided trainer Richard Woollacott with the biggest success of his career when bounding to victory in the Weatherbys Private Bank Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race under Richard Johnson.
However, the triumph was tinged with sadness as Woollacott tearfully explained: "James McNeile died on one of our horses on Saturday in a point-to-point, one of the owners (Dick Westacott) has died and my two-year-old daughter Arabella is in hospital. This has been the worst week of my life. Hopefully she will be out of hospital tomorrow."
He added: "This is a lovely horse. We'll cuddle him a bit, school him over hurdles and then put him away. He's only a baby."
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