ICE-COLD SUNDAE

AINTREE HURDLE SUPASUNDAE made it a thrilling Thursday to defy hot favourite Buveur D’Air — and better his second placing of 12 months ago.

Left in front when Melon fell at the third-last flight, the nine-year-old (above) and Robbie Power battled to the line to hold the 5-6 hotpot by a length and a quarter.

Supasundae, also an Aintree runner-up in the three-mile Liverpool Hurdle in 2017, had turned in a rare poor effort when seventh in the Stayers’ Hurdle last month, and his trainer Jessica Harrington said: “Cheltenham was the first time he has run a bad race for me.

“I don’t know what went wrong. He hit a brick wall, and the great thing was, when he did hit a brick wall, Robbie sat up on him and we’ve managed to get him back here.”

Nick Henderson said of Buveur D’Air, who had fallen at the third flight when attempting a Champion Hurdle hat-trick at Cheltenham, said: “He hasn’t had a lucky year — but he’ll be back.”

MANIFESTO CHASE KALASHNIKOV found the target to give trainer Amy Murphy and jockey Jack Quinlan a first Grade 1 triumph.

A casualty at the sixth fence of the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham last month, the 4-1 shot, carrying the colours of the trainer’s father Paul, survived a blunder at the second-last obstacle to beat 7-4 favourite La Bague Au Roi by a length and a quarter.

“I promise you he is top class – as you’ve seen today – and what a ride from Jack!” said Murphy.

“We’ve had a couple of things go wrong this season, but that was him at his very best.”