AINTREE DATE FOR FOOTPAD

ITV’S viewing figures for the Cheltenham Festival were slightly down on the previous year but 11 of the 20 races shown live were watched by more than a million people.

ITV attracted a combined average audience of 3,423,000 viewers, just under four per cent less than in 2017. But the 2018 total was still 29 per cent up on Channel 4’s coverage in 2016. BRILLIANT Arkle winner Footpad will bypass Sunday’s Fairyhouse meeting to run at Aintree’s Grand National Festival next month.

Footpad, an impressive winner at Cheltenham, will line up in either the 2m Doom Bar Maghull Novices’ Chase or the 2m4f Manifesto Novices’ Chase.

SAM TWISTON-DAVIES reached 100 winners for the season when he rode Broughtons Admiral to victory at Hereford.