606: DEBATE Discuss Friday's racing at Aintree

By Elizabeth Hudson

1730 John Smith's Mares Only Standard Open NH Flat (2m 1f)
1. Turbo Linn (A Dobbin) 5-2 Fav
2. Theatre Girl (R Thornton) 10-1
3. Valentines Lady (P Kinsella) 33-1
20 ran. Dist: 1�, 13

The favourite Turbo Linn sent supporters home happy with victory in the day's final race.

Alan Swinbank's charge, ridden by Tony Dobbin, was always well placed and produced a bright turn of foot when Dobbin asked her to quicken up well over a furlong out.

The victory was Turbo Linn's fifth consecutive success in bumpers and ensured Dobbin enjoyed a 16�-1 double on the day.

Theatre Girl held on well for second ahead of Valentines Lady but there was drama before the field swung into the home straight as the field came together, leading to Princess Flame and Cracking Cliche coming down.

1655 Betfair.com Handicap Chase (3m 1f)
1. Reveillez (A P McCoy) 9-2 Fav
2. Lankawi (T J O'Brien) 10-1
3. Lacdoudal (R Johnson) 8-1
4. Healy's Pub (T G M Ryan) 50-1
18 ran

Tony McCoy completed a 81�-1 double with another confident ride, this time on the favourite Reveillez, in the betfair.com Handicap Chase.

The champion jockey gradually brought the James Fanshawe-trained grey, owned by JP McManus, into the race as Maurice made the running.

Leading between the last two fences, Reveillez, the 9-2 favourite, forged clear to win by seven lengths from Lankawi with Lacdoudal two and a half lengths away in third and Healy's Pub fourth.

1620 John Smith's Top Novices' Hurdle (3m)
1. Blythe Knight (AP McCoy) 14-1
2. Osana (Tom Scudamore) 3-1
3. Ouninpohja (Ruby Walsh) 2-1f
8 ran

Tony McCoy claimed yet another victory when former Flat star Blythe Knight ran on late to win the Novices Hurdle.

Blythe Knight quickened up well over the final 100 yards or so to power clear of Osana.

Osana, ridden by Tom Scudamore, took the lead and kicked on at the turn but his rivals started to loom with two fences to go.

Ouninpohja, the mount of Ruby Walsh and Blythe Knight both moved to challenge but Walsh's charge was unable to find anything in the closing stages, giving Tony McCoy a rare 14-1 winner.

1545 John Smith's Topham Chase (2m 5f)
1. Dunbrody Millar (Jamie Moore) 25-1
2. Theatre Knight (Wilson Renwick) 66-1
3. Latimer's Place (Leighton Aspell) 25-1
4. Ground Ball (AP McCoy) 12-1
29 ran

Jockey Jamie Moore was left delighted after the smart Dunbrody Millar triumphed in the Topham Chase over the Grand National fences.

The Peter Bowen-trained nine-year-old was prolific early on along with Hakim but seemed to drift out of contention around The Chair.

Irish Raptor and Theatre Knight took up the running but both found the going too tough before the second last.

But Dunbrody Millar put in another strong charge when it mattered to pull well clear of the rest of the field and safely negotiate the final fence and the long run-in to the line.

Theatre Knight ran on well under Wilson Renwick to take second ahead of Latimer's Place while Tony McCoy, who is yet to win a Grand National, was fourth on Ground Ball.

1540: "You can feel the tension as the jockeys get ready to go over the Grand National fences in the Topham Chase."
BBC Sport's Richard Pitman

1510 John Smith's Melling Chase (2m 4f)
1. Monet's Garden (Tony Dobbin) 4-1
2. Taranis (Ruby Walsh) 5-1
3. Well Chief (Timmy Murphy) 4-5f
6 ran. Dist: 3�, 9

Monet's Garden jumped superbly and showed his class to hold off his rivals and win the Melling Chase.

Tony Dobbin's mount was well-placed throughout and started to pull clear of the rest of the field with three fences to go and from then on he held off all challengers.

Well Chief, who fell early in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, was held up at the rear of the field but when he moved into a challenging position, he was unable to find any more pace and he drifted back.

Taranis marked himself out as one to watch next season with second, under Ruby Walsh.

But Monet's Garden, who had a poor race at the Cheltenham Festival, made amends for that display with a well-deserved victory.

"He's a beautiful horse and he jumped well. Tony (Dobbin) knows him well and when he's good, he's a very good horse."
Winning trainer Nicky Richards

"We'll get him home and see how he is in the morning. About two or three fences from home I was worried he wouldn't get there and he didn't."
Well Chief's trainer David Pipe

1510:The six horses for the Melling Chase are getting a glimpse at the first fence before going back to the start and the favourite Well Chief looks good.

1500: "The Melling Chase is all about Well Chief"
BBC Sport's Clare Balding

1435 Citroen C6 Sefton Novices' Hurdle (3m)
1. Chief Dan George (Mick FitzGerald) 20-1
2. Wichita Lineman (AP McCoy) 4-6f
3. Imperial Commander (Tony Evans) 25-1
10 ran. Dist: 4, 18

Chief Dan George, ridden by Mick FitzGerald, claimed a surprise win over the odds-on favourite Wichita Lineman in the Sefton Novices Hurdle.

For much of the race it was a battle between Wichita Lineman and Massini's Maguire but FitzGerald's mount, who was well back in fourth place jumping the second-last fence, was the strongest finisher.

Massini's Maguire faded approaching the last and with Wichita Lineman also struggling, Chief Dan George took control of the race and jumped the final fence strongly and made a charge for the line..

Wichita Lineman was unable to respond, allowing Chief Dan George to claim a four-length win.

"I think Tony McCoy (Wichita Lineman's jockey) and Richard Johnson (Massini Maguire's jockey) may have gone too soon." BBC analyst Norman Williamson

"This is a great day for us and gives us massive pleasure. He pulled a muscle at Cheltenham but we fancied him for this." Winning trainer James Moffatt.

1400 John Smith's Mildway Novices' Chase (3m 1f)
1. Aces Four (G Lee) 5-2f
2. Faasel (Tony Dobbin) 6-1
3. Dom D'Orgeval (Tom Scudamore) 16-1
10 ran. Dist: 8, �

The favourite Aces Four put in a strong display to claim a comfortable victory in Friday's opening race.

Graham Lee's mount made a mistake at the opening fence but recovered to sit behind pacesetter Yes Sir. He moved up to challenge with eight fences left and the pair pulled well clear of the rest of the field.

Yes Sir's challenge faded with about five fences to go, leaving Aces Four at the head of affairs and he jumped the remainder of the fences safely to get home well clear of the rest.

Faasel ran on well for second, just getting the better of Dom D'Orgeval

"He's a nice horse and could make it as a Gold Cup horse." Trainer Ferdy Murphy

1402: The ground looks perfect as the day's racing gets under way.

1356: The horses are at the start for the day's opening race, the Mildmay Novices' Chase.

1350: There is a large crowd at Aintree for the second day of the Grand National meeting.

All colours and styles are on show for Ladies Day and the stylish ladies have been rewarded with a sunny day.

The day's feature is the Melling Chase at 1510 BST which has just six runners, led by Well Chief, who came to grief early in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham last month.