Starluck

The fact that Starluck could finish only fourth in the Triumph Hurdle probably disappointed many, especially given that he was sent off the 5/1 second favourite, displacing the winner Zaynar in that position before the off, but it was still a fine run from the son of Key Of Luck, and it augurs really well for the future.

Wide and well back for much of the way, he made nice progress to challenge around the home turn, travelled better than anything on the run to the last, and jumped the last right upsides Zaynar and Walkon, but he just didn't get up the hill. He actually faded quite markedly and was collared close home for third by Mourad.

Alan Fleming's gelding won his maiden hurdle at Huntingdon, a flat track, and the most impressive performance of his career by some way was in the juvenile hurdle at Kempton's Christmas meeting, so it is probable that he will be much better suited by Aintree than he was by Cheltenham, with its undulations and uphill finish. He didn't run between Christmas and Cheltenham, so it may be that he will even come on for his run in the Triumph, probably more than his peers, and he will be a leading player in the Matalan Anniversary Hurdle (the old Glen Livet) on the first day of Aintree's Grand National meeting if allowed to take his chance in it.

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