For the third time in the last four renewals, the valuable Ladbrokes Trophy was claimed by a former Irish point-to-pointer, with De Rasher Counter leading home a clean sweep of the placings in the valuable contest at Newbury.
Sent off as a 12/1 shot for the capacity field staying chase, the seven-year-old led the field down to the final fence, where a good jump under five-pound claimer Ben Jones saw him hold his advantage over The Conditional, as the son of Yeats recorded his fifth success under rules, four of which have come for current connections – trainer Emma Lavelle and owners the Makin’ Bacon Syndicate.
The one and a half-length victory in the £250,000 contest was his most notable since winning his point-to-point for Tipperary handler Tom Keating at Borris House, on what was his sixth and final outing between the flags.
Runner-up The Conditional won his point-to-point at Boulta for Martin Hassett, who also won a Belharbour four-year-old maiden with Ladbrokes Trophy-fifth Dingo Dollar, whilst the placings in the big race were completed by the staying-on Elegant Escape, a horse that chased home Samcro in his four-year-old maiden at Monksgrange when under the care of Gordon Elliott.
"It's just unbelievable. I'm so proud of what Ben (Jones, rider) has done on him and so proud of the team.
“I'm so proud of everybody, I really am, that we have been able to get these horses right for the big day this weekend. It's close to home and is so special for everybody,” said winning trainer Emma Lavelle.
"We are lucky we have got amazing owners. We have patient owners that let the horses develop. We could have taken this horse to Cheltenham last season, but mentally we didn't think he was ready for it and the owners were prepared to wait with this being the target.
"It is just magical when it comes off, as so often it doesn't. I can't believe it."
"We will see how he is after today and see what the handicapper does to him, then make a plan.
"It (Grand National) is something we have spoken about, but he is only a second-season chaser. It would be too soon but come back to me with some other ideas and we will see what we do."
Earlier in the afternoon, Colin Bowe’s Ballysteen winner, Danny Whizzbang, made his first start over racecourse fences a winning one, when taking the Grade 2 Ladbrokes John Francome Novices’ Chase under Harry Cobden.
The outsider of the three runners, ran out a four-length winner for the Paul Nicholls yard, whilst at Newcastle, the Listed Betfair Rehearsal Chase, went the way of Martin Kenirons’ Castletown-Geoghegan winner Takingrisks.
The reigning Scottish National winner champion stayed on dourly in the £70,000 contest to cruelly deny Loughrea winner Top Ville Ben, who had jumped the last with a clear lead.
