Shotgun Paddy has the armoury to be fine staying chaser

Old favourite Carruthers, winner of the 2011 Hennessy Gold Cup, headed the weights for this marathon run over three miles and five furlongs and he rolled back the years as he took the field along at a good pace. One by one, his rivals fell by the wayside, but Leighton Aspell was always stalking him on Shotgun Paddy.

Despite getting low at the final fence, the Emma Lavelle-trained seven-year-old ran on strongly to take the first prize and get a quote of 10-1 from Paddy Power for the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

The action got under way at 12.10pm with The Levy Board Warwick Mares’ Hurdle Race (Class 1) (Listed) over two miles and there were three in contention jumping the last flight, with favourite Glens Melody, the first runner at the course for Irish trainer Willie Mullins, just prevailing from Mischievous Milly and Hidden Identity.

Twelve went to post for the following novices’ handicap hurdle and Dungeness was another winner for the in-form Venetia Williams, making most of the running and storming four lengths clear of Bold Cuffs on the run-in.

Black Thunder was sent off the odds-on favourite to land his fourth win in a row in The Betfred Goals Galore Novices’ Chase, but there was plenty of money for Corrin Wood, backed in from 11-4 to 2-1.

Taken into the lead by Jason Maguire, Corrin Wood never put a foot wrong and his backers were counting their winnings a long way out as he led all the way for an impressive success.

The fourth, a handicap chase run for the Edward Courage Cup, looked an open affair, but punters latched on to top-weight Dolatulo and he displaced Sew On Target as favourite just before the off.

However, they knew their fate fully three fences from home as Dare Me took up the running and went further and further away from his rivals to make it a double for trainer Williams and jockey Aidan Coleman.

The first eight home in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle all qualified for the final at Cheltenham in March, but some will have to show improved form to be in with a chance as the field finished well strung out behind Uncle Jimmy, who led two flights out and ran on strongly to deny Grand Vision.

There looked to be plenty of strength in depth in The Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle (Registered As The Leamington Novices’ Hurdle) but, with Killala Quay pulling up and favourite Rathvinden falling three flights from home, it lost some of its sparkle as a contest.

That should not detract, however, from the performance of the progressive Deputy Dan, who was notching his fourth success when proving too strong for Masters Hill and he can scale even greater heights.

There is racing again next Thursday with a seven-race card that gets under way at 1.20pm.