Haydock Park was at the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons recently as a brawl broke out on the course involving 50 racegoers on their Grand National Trial Day.

It’s fair to say many of the punters involved had consumed a shandy too many and look set to have signed a banning order, which will keep them away from the course for the rest of their lives!

The Grand National Trial was won by Robinsfirth who remarkably doesn’t even have an entry in the Grand National, something connections will definitely be regretting after their horse outstayed all of his rivals at Haydock, including some of the drunks who had drifted off by that point.

Ridden by his regular jockey Sean Bowen, Robinsfirth was driven out three fences from home and looked to be in big trouble. However, he stayed on well to hit the front at the last obstacle, and he didn’t look back then to finish ahead of Ramses De Teilee and Chef D’Oeuvre respectively.

It’s going to be a big few weeks for Robinsfirth’s trainer Colin Tizzard as his horse Native River is one of the most popular Gold Cup tips this year, where he will be looking to defend his crown in the race. For some reason horses have struggled to retain their title in the Gold Cup as it has not been done since Best Mate managed the feat in 2004.

When you consider the likes of Kauto Star, Denman and Long Run have all failed to do it, it will be a fantastic achievement from Native River who is more than just a mudlark, as some people like label him

Earlier in the card on Grand National Trial Day at Haydock, Jester Jet was the winner of the Mares’ Hurdle as she upset the favourite If You Say Run in a close tussle as there was nothing more than a neck between the two horses at the finish. The winner returned 4/1, therefore, those who had backed Tom Lacey’s runner were definitely toasting jockey Tom Scudamore after the race. Unfortunately, neither the first or second will feature in the Mares’ Hurdle on day one of the Cheltenham Festival next month.

Benie Des Obeaux currently tops the betting for that race as Apple’s Jade and Laurina are expected to show girl power and take on the boys in the Champion Hurdle earlier in the day, where defending champion Buveur D’Air is bidding for a hat-trick of success in the race.

One horse who will be lining up at Cheltenham after winning at Haydock is Quel Destin who is trained by Paul Nicholls. The former Champion Trainer recently had his 3000th career winner and he will be excited about his horse’s prospects in the Triumph Hurdle, where he is in the betting at 9/1.

Quel Destin went off at 4/6 in this juvenile hurdle race and he proved his class, prevailing by six lengths. The French-bred horse just looked in a league above with his rivals at the Lancashire track, to the point it looked like he knew that too and was just toying with them until the closing stages, where he then stretched away. Let’s hope the crowd behave themselves at Cheltenham next month and there is no repeat of the brawl we saw at Haydock.