Monday 19 March 2018 16:56, UK
Connections of Regal Flow were in dreamland after the Bob Buckler-trained 11-year-old cruised to victory in the Betfred Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter on Saturday.
Having won well at Taunton just five days earlier, he once again made short shrift of the testing ground to bound clear under 5lb claimer Sean Houlihan and beat Milansbar by 10 lengths.
Buckler said of the 16-1 chance: "He's a lovely horse. He came back after Monday and we had to confirm for this meeting before then.
"We did it on the off chance if something went wrong or Taunton was abandoned.
"Monday night when I got home, he came off the lorry and was as perky and chirpy as could be.
"I rang Heather (Dunn, owner) that night and said I was certainly going to think about Saturday.
"Tuesday was the one nice day we had this week, so we turned him out in the field. He bucked and barged all over the place and I thought 'You're feeling very well, mate'.
"I rang Heather up and said 'We've got to go for it', and it paid off.
"We were aiming for the Challenger Series at Haydock in a fortnight. That was the next plan. We'll have to see what the handicapper does on Tuesday."
Kildisart kept up the good work for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede with victory in the Matchbook Racing Is Commission Free Silver Plate Handicap Hurdle at Kempton.
Their green colours were carried to success by Footpad in the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham on Tuesday and Kildisart (5-1) ensured they ended the week on a high, albeit at a less exalted level.
Pauling said: "I'm delighted to see him win as he was running well at Ascot last time before he made a mistake, so it's nice to see him pick up where he left off.
"Apart from the last, it was a pretty foot-perfect display of jumping.
"We could look at one of the novices' hurdles at Aintree for him now - perhaps the two-and-a-half-mile race (Betway Mersey Novices' Hurdle on April 14).
"He would be going up a bit in grade, but it might be a nice place to finish the season, or he does have that handicap experience now."
Sadly for racegoers on Sunday, the British and Irish fixture lists were wiped out as the wintry cold snap wreaked havoc with the schedule.
