The Randox Grand National emerged as a potential long-term target for Senior Chief after he led home a one-two for Henry de Bromhead in the William Hill Handicap Chase on an Irish-dominated Saturday at Cheltenham.

Making his first appearance since being pulled up as a leading contender for the Irish Grand National in the spring, Senior Chief was an 11/1 shot in the hands of Darragh O’Keeffe, with his stablemate The Short Go slightly shorter in the betting at 9/1 under Jordan Gainford.

With the pacesetting pair of 9/4 favourite Broadway Boy and Does He Know faltering from the home turn, Senior Chief moved strongly to the lead early in the straight and aided by first-time cheek pieces, dug deep from the final fence to repel the challenge of his stable companion by a length and a quarter.

“I’m delighted for both horses, Senior Chief always looked like he had a big one in him and The Short Go is just coming through and he ran a cracker as well,” said de Bromhead.

“Senior Chief was disappointing in the (Irish) National, he was nearly favourite that day, but the lads were patient, we gave him a good break and I’m delighted for them.

“We were heading for the Kerry National, but he just didn’t feel like he was there so we said we’d aim for this.

“The cheekpieces were just to make him focus. He’s very genuine, but sometimes at the end of the race he’d just look around a bit.

“There’s no better place to have a winner, we get looked after so well and love coming and it’s always nice to win the odd one as well.”

One bookmaker introduced Senior Chief into their Grand National market at 50/1 and his trainer, who memorably won the Aintree spectacular with the Rachael Blackmore-ridden Minella Times in 2021, feels a trip to Merseyside in April could suit.

He added: “The English National has always been in my head for him, just the Irish National threw me a little bit. I wonder is he better left-handed than right-handed? I’m not sure, I’m probably mad.

“I haven’t spoken to the lads, the plan was to win a big handicap somewhere as we felt he was entitled to and it’s brilliant he’s done that here.

“Last year, before the Irish National, I felt he was an English National horse and he failed to see it out, but I wouldn’t write it off yet.”

Front-running display

Lisnamult Lad put up an excellent front-running display to win the opening William Hill Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

Only a second runner at Prestbury Park for trainer Ian Donoghue, older brother of leading jockey Keith, the 20/1 shot jumped with elan throughout the two-and-a-half-mile contest and dug deep up the run-in under title-chasing Sean Bowen to repel the late surge of Weveallbeencaught by half a length.

“That’s deadly,” said Donoghue.

“I was delighted with our Irish mark of 124, but the English handicapper put him up 10lb and I was nearly going to leave him at home. I actually rang the English handicapper and gave out to him when I saw the mark, but he was right!

“I was talking to the owner the other day and we’d love to get him in the Irish Grand National in the spring. Hopefully he might come back here for the Festival, but we’ll just tip-toe away with him and try to get a nice weight for Fairyhouse.”

Pillar to post

The John McConnell-trained Intense Approach also led from pillar to post in the William Hill Betting Done Properly Novices’ Hurdle.

A winner at Downpatrick and Kelso during the summer, the five-year-old was last seen finishing best of the rest behind the impressive Flying Fortune in the Grade 2 Persian War at Chepstow.

Easing in class just a fortnight later, the 2/1 favourite was soon bowling along in front and found another gear from the home turn to pull six lengths clear of his toiling rivals.

“He got a nice, unharried lead and jumped really well. Jumping has been an issue for him, but you wouldn’t think it judged on today,” said McConnell.

“Harry (Cobden) gets on really with him and once he gave him a little flick at the back of the second-last, he really picked up.

“At home he works like an aeroplane this horse, that is why we started him at shorter trips, but he just has a really high cruising speed.

“It opens up more options having now won over three miles. He’ll probably have to have a break as he’s been on the go a little while.

“We won this race a few years ago with Bardenstown Lad and he came back for the Albert Bartlett at the Festival and finished third in it. We’ll aim towards a big novice hurdle or maybe a handicap hurdle in the spring and see.”

Four on the bounce

Gordon Elliott struck gold in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle, with 9/2 co-favourite The Wallpark notching his fourth successive victory under Jordan Gainford.

Elliott said: “I thought we might finish third or fourth as he had a lot of weight, but they went very quick up front and I’d say it suited him well as he came from off the pace.

“He’s a great horse who doesn’t show much at home but keeps improving. I thought the ground might be a bit tight for him to be honest, but good horses win on any ground.

“We’ll probably give him a break now and bring him back for the Pertemps Final at the Festival. It’s getting tougher and tougher to qualify for it, so if you’re in it you should take your chance and we can go chasing then next season.”

First for Derham

A long-term plan came to fruition for Givemefive as the promising youngster provided Harry Derham with his first Cheltenham winner as a trainer in the Masterson Holdings Hurdle.

The four-year-old won his first two starts over obstacles after being bought out of Johnny Murtagh’s yard last year and went on to finish second in the Adonis Hurdle at Kempton and fourth in a Grade 2 at Fairyhouse for his owners Smash Racing, a syndicate that includes major-winning golfers Graeme McDowell and Brooks Koepka.

Following a readying run when second on the flat at Haydock last month, Givemefive returned to the jumping game against his own age group at Prestbury Park and went to post a 7/2 second-favourite behind Gavin Cromwell’s Irish raider Bottler’secret (evens).

After being settled in the middle of the pack for much of the way by Paul O’Brien, Givemefive was produced with his challenge early in the home straight and after getting into a minor barging match with Bottler’secret going round the dolled-off final flight, he finished off strongly to beat a staying-on Dodger Long by a length and a quarter.

Derham enjoyed success as a rider at Cheltenham, landing the Greatwood Hurdle on Brampour in 2011 and the Martin Pipe on Salubrious two years later, while he later spent several seasons as assistant to his uncle Paul Nicholls.

“It means an awful lot – Cheltenham is a very special place. I suppose I’m doing what I’m doing because I was 11, chasing Ruby (Walsh) and Kauto Star up that hill and watching Uncle Paul win all those races, so to have one in my own name makes it a very cool day,” he said.

“He’s been a fabulous little horse, well found by my cousin Megan (Nicholls). From the first day we jumped him we thought we were going to have some fun as he just loved it.

“I will also say well done to Graham my head lad, Amy my sister and Charlie my assistant because in the middle of the week I was bottling it a bit about running him, as I thought the race was going to be a bit lively and Bottler’secret was going to be hard to beat. They said ‘come on, you’ve trained him for the race, get on and do it’, so well done them.

“I’m really proud of the horse, since we’ve had him he’s never let us down and this is a plan we’ve had for a long time, so I’m thrilled it’s come off.”

Derham added: “I’m not going to do big handicaps until after Christmas. I had Mr (Ruby) Walsh on the phone last night and he said big handicaps for four-year-olds are too tough.

“There’s a race at Fairyhouse for four-year-olds in a month’s time, so we might do that or we might just leave him alone. He’s only young and he’s got some good days ahead of him – I’d love to run him in a Betfair Hurdle or something like that.

“I was bit worried about the ground, I thought he’d like it a bit softer, but as usual the trainer is wrong and he was really good on it.”

McDowell and Koepka did not make the trip to the Cotswolds, but the trainer said: “They’re in Florida, but I just had a FaceTime with Graeme there and he’s made up.

“For any owners that support you in a young business, it’s very cool to train winners for them and they’re great supporters of mine. It’s a shame they couldn’t be here, but the horse has done them proud.”