The Gary Moore-trained Ubak, winner of the 2013 Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree, delivered again on Merseyside when winning the opening Gaskells Waste Management Handicap Hurdle at 16/1 by a length and three-quarters.
“It’s a wonderful training performance. Ubak broke down just over two years ago with a suspensory and we got him back within a month of running and it went again,” said owner Nick Peacock.
“That is normally game over, but we went again with stem cells and, although it hasn’t been easy, here we are. It is absolutely brilliant. I am lucky enough to own a few other very good horses and this is a magic moment.
“He clearly benefitted from the step up in trip although I don’t think the ground helped. He’s obviously improved a bit since Cheltenham having been off for so long.
“We’d thought about going for the Liverpool Stayers’ Hurdle today but it was probably going to be too much of an ask to take on Thistlecrack.
“It has to be one step at a time with him after all his problems but we might have a crack at the Stayers’ Hurdle at Punchestown if he comes out of this fine.”
The first race of the day has left Brian Hughes, who was due to ride Romford Pele, out of the Grand National race after his fall from Urban Hymn.