• Aintree Festival Day One

What a Friend prevails as Imperial Commander falls

What a Friend won by three lengths in the Aintree Bowl © Getty Images

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What a Friend gave his owner Sir Alex Ferguson something to smile about after he outpaced Carruthers to win the totesport bowl at Aintree on Thursday.

The race was thrown wide open after Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander unseated Paddy Brennan at the 14th fence, and Tony McCoy looked to be heading for victory aboard the grey Nacarat.

Nacarat and Carruthers were battling for the lead, but Nacarat fell out of the running after a poor jump on the straight, while a jumbled leap at the last by Mattie Batchelor allowed Ruby Walsh to take the lead, and he guided the horse home to win by over three lengths.

After his team crashed out of the Champions League on Wednesday night, the Manchester United manager watched as his horse, which he jointly owns with Ged Mason, took the spoils in the day's main attraction. Ferguson was happy to put Wednesday's disappointment behind him.

"I'm very pleased, it's fantastic and I was so excited," he said. "It's great. That's the beauty of the racing game. Every fence you're jumping yourself, that's the beauty of it. I've had a lot of great winners, but to win a race of this magnitude and class is fantastic. I'm really pleased.

"Life is like that. Every day is a different day. You have your disappointments and no-one died last night. That's the important thing and you move on."

Big Buck's maintained his unbeaten record over hurdles © Getty Images

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Ruby Walsh guided Big Buck's home for a hat-trick of victories at Aintree. The champion staying hurdler outsprinted his rivals to win by three lengths from Souffleur for a comfortable victory in the Liverpool Hurdle.

Big Buck's trainer Nicholls paid tribute to Walsh: "It was difficult for Ruby," Nicholls said. "You don't want to be in front and have him pull himself up three out. He'll have a nice holiday now. It was quite nerve wracking. The pressure's on and you just want it to go right."

Orsippus stunned the outright favourite Sanctuaire to take the Anniversary Hurdle. Sanctuaire, ridden by Ruby Walsh, looked on course for victory after closing down Tony McCoy's leader Barizan. But Orsippus, who lost by over ten lengths to Sanctuaire at Cheltenham, had his revenge as he stayed on strongest to take the win.

Jockey Davy Condon said: "I was looking at the TV before the race and saw he was 50-1 and I thought he shouldn't be that price because he ran a cracker at Cheltenham and didn't get a clear run and I thought he would have finished second to Ruby. My fella quickened up the best today."

Silver Adonis was a 50/1 outsider © Getty Images

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Tom Weston produced a shock victory aboard Silver Adonis to win from Moncadou in a dramatic Fox Hunters' Chase. In the amateur jockeys' equivalent to the Grand National, Weston came out on top as just nine of 21 runners finished. Moncadou outsprinted Blu Teen to finish second.

Cheltenham winner Baby Run fell at the sixth, while 6/1 second favourite Trust Fund fell just one fence later - but the infamous Becher's Brook claimed no casualties.

"We came here this morning and thought the ground was a bit too soft for him," said Weston. "We half thought about not running him, but we decided to give it a go and I can't believe it. I'm in shock. It's a very long way from the last. I was praying for the line."

Chanibar showed impressive stamina to to run out convincing winner of the Red Rum Handicap Chase.

Jockey Sean Quinlan dictated the pace early on, and was challenged for the lead by Lord Jay Jay and Pret A Thou, but both faded later on as Chanibar streaked to a decisive 15-length lead. Trainer Milton Harris was delighted with the victory.

"He won ever so well at Newbury two starts ago and I thought he'd run alright today, but I'm just bloody annoyed that I didn't have a bean on him," he said. "I'm pleased to win the race, though. He's a good horse on his day and he's a very strong-travelling horse. He's a bit quirky, but on a given day he could work with anything at home."

Mad Max got the better of favourite Somersby to take the victory for trainer Nicky Henderson. Under the charge of Barry Geraghty, Mad Max settled into his rhythm early and led from the outset.

Somersby made a late challenge in the straight after an uncomfortable start, but the eight-year-old pulled away to win by nine lengths. Nicholls' The Nightingale, ridden by Walsh was a further six lengths back.

"Look at the size of him, these fences are like hurdles to him," said Henderson. "He can't quicken but he just keeps on galloping and I was keen to go two and a half miles with him."

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