Landmark 17th straight win for Big Buck’s

Andy Stewart’s nine-year-old won his 17th race in succession, one more than the legendary Sir Ken managed in the 1950s.

The Paul Nicholls-trained superstar was winning the Grade One event, the opening race of the John Smith’s Grand National meeting, for the fourth year in a row, adding to the four World Hurdles he has won at the Cheltenham Festival.

Big Buck’s also managed to win a novice chase at this meeting back in 2008, so was winning on Merseyside for the fifth straight year in all. Gone are the days when Ruby Walsh used to look briefly in trouble with a famed “flat spot”, and he coasted round the three miles before beating Crack Away Jack, having his first run for Tom George, by nine lengths. Smad Place, the second favourite, fell in the back straight, as did Restless Harry who brought down Won In The Dark. All horses and jockeys emerged unscathed.

Walsh said: “The easy part is riding him. He’s an incredible horse. It wasn’t as competitive a race as Cheltenham. He’s bolted in and the last couple of years he’s been better here than at Cheltenham. He’s never been extended over hurdles. I would say there’s more there.”

William Hill reported they had taken a £500,000 bet on Big Buck’s before the race, laying him to lose £600,000. Kate Miller, spokeswoman for William Hill, said: “This ranks as one of the biggest bets ever taken on racing, but after 16 straight victories, Big Buck’s looked a pretty safe bet.”

Follow The Plan stunned punters with a 50-1 shock success in the Betfred Bowl Chase at Aintree. Tom Doyle brought Oliver McKiernan’s nine-year-old to lead after the second last and win in tremendous style by three lengths.

Burton Port (4-1) just held on for second with the vastly-improved Hunt Ball (6-1) a neck away in third and Medermit close behind in a bunch finish for the places.

Last year’s winner Nacarat and Hennessy victor Carruthers cut out the early running. The strongly-fancied favourite Riverside Theatre was never travelling well and he was pulled up, as was Diamond Harry, before the race really began in earnest.

Follow The Plan was always going well and, once he hit the front, never looked like being caught. The winner had previously won the Punchestown Gold Cup last season.

On the day when the statue of an Aintree legend – the late Ginger McCain – was unveiled, his son Donald sent out Cloudy Lane to win the John Smith’s Fox Hunters’ Chase over the Grand National fences.

The 4-1 joint-favourite, ridden by Richard Harding and carrying the colours of Trevor Hemmings, collared Sam Waley-Cohen on Roulez Cool after two out to land the spoils by two and three-quarter lengths.