Walford sets out Aintree aim for Battle Born Lad

Mark Walford will head straight to Aintree for the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle with his impressive Haydock winner Battle Born Lad.

Lightly-raced, the six-year-old was having just his fifth run under rules and second over hurdles in the Grade Two Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices’ Hurdle.

Jamie Hamilton set out to make all and never looked in any danger, kicking on at the penultimate flight to win by five and a half lengths from Moon Rocket, who set the standard based on his second in the River Don.

“We were delighted. It was a big ask and we had a lot of conversations between myself, the owners and the lads who help in the yard to step up from two miles to three and into a Grade Two,” said Walford.

“We just felt with Wendigo running in the novice hurdle we were going to go for at Wetherby, we may as well take on good horses in a proper race.

“We always suspected he would stay well and he did it really nicely, he was going away again at the line.

“He obviously has his quirks. He had a look at the gate on the first circuit and even more of a look on the second as he unshipped Jamie (Hamilton) after the line, but he’s a smart horse and a strong stayer.”

Having beaten Jamie Snowden’s Albert Bartlett-bound Wendigo on his hurdling debut, Walford can also point to some smart bumper form from last season.

“He was third at Kelso in May to Sandy Thomson’s nice horse (Dedicated Hero) who won a Grade Two and that was a decent bumper and it was obviously a strong novice hurdle by Hexham’s standards that he won,” said Walford.

“So we knew we had a decent horse but probably not how decent. He probably would have been more impressive if Jamie had really stretched them turning in, but I’m glad he didn’t as there was no need to.

“He’s fine after the race and we’ll be looking to go to Aintree for the Grade One over three miles.

“We do sort of wonder if he would be better right-handed, so we had thought about Punchestown but there’s a big gap between Cheltenham and Punchestown this year, so all the Willie Mullins brigade will probably go Cheltenham and Punchestown rather than Cheltenham and Aintree.

“If we can win a Grade One, I don’t mind if it’s at Cheltenham or Aintree!”