Horse Racing: Silver By Nature has golden chance

Silver By Nature may attempt to become the first grey to win the John Smith's Grand National in 50 years after he defied top weight at Haydock.

The nine-year-old, trained at Milnathort in Perthshire, could try to emulate Nicolaus Silver back in 1961 after putting up a tremendous display to win the totesport.com Grand National Trial for the second year running. Trainer Lucinda Russell said: "I'll have to speak to his owner (Geoff Brown]. He has been very keen on winning the Scottish Grand National.

"This horse does like the heavy ground and I would prefer to go to Aintree because it is less likely to be heavy at Ayr."

Back In Focus (16-1) sprang a surprise on his jumps bow when upstaging hot-pot Court In Motion in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle. Trainer Howard Johnson's assistant, Ray Hawkey, said: "I would think Cheltenham will be on the agenda. Howard doesn't usually enter them unless he intends to run them."

Mille Chief just pipped Celestial Halo in a desperate finish to the Bathwick Tyres Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton. Alan King's charge prevailed by a nose from the 2009 Champion Hurdle runner-up in a race that appeared to shed little light on this year's Cheltenham feature.

Riverside Theatre's success in the Betfair Ascot Chase spearheaded a dazzling Berkshire four-timer for Nicky Henderson and Barry Geraghty.

The 11-10 favourite was paying a hefty compliment to his stablemate Long Run, who beat him comfortably in last month's King George VI Chase, as he came ten lengths clear of Gauvain. Riverside Theatre seized the 84,000 first prize in an instant as he pulled away from Gauvain after the second-last, leaving Henderson with options for the major spring meetings.

Henderson retained the Sodexo Prestige Reynoldstown Novices' Chase through Master Of The Hall, and the trainer said: "The owners won't need persuading to go for the RSA and Burton Port who won this last year nearly won it, so we'll see."

Henderson and Geraghty added a third winner when 30-100 favourite Sprinter Sacre took the Trisoft "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle in a canter.

The Lambourn trainer's Mono Man (6-4 favourite) then made off with the Gardiner & Theobald Standard Open NH Flat Race. Geraghty was on board all four of Henderson's winners.