Coko Beach is Aintree-bound again following Punchestown win

Coko Beach looks to have booked a return to Aintree having led home a Gordon Elliott one-two-three in the QuinnBet Grand National Trial Handicap Chase at Punchestown.

Fourth to stablemate Death Duty in this 12 months ago, the eight-year-old went on to finish a well-held eighth behind Noble Yeats in the Randox Grand National two runs later and could now follow a similar path having found the scoresheet for the first time since February 2021.

The classy grey arrived at the Kildare track on the back of a respectable fourth in the Thyestes at Gowran last month and was sent off the shortest of the four Cullentra House representatives at 7-1.

Never far from the pace in the hands of Ben Harvey, he edged his way to the front travelling with plenty of zest at four out.

Sam Curling’s 15-8 favourite Angels Dawn was also moving menacingly into contention and looked a real threat when moving to Coko Beach’s tail three out.

However, the race was soon over as a contest when Angels Dawn unshipped Cian Quirke at the second-last and all that the blinkered Coko Beach had to do was burn off the retreating Stones And Roses and storm up the straight for a commanding five-and-a-half-length success over the defending champion Death Duty, with Defi Bleu the bronze medallist a further half length back.

Both Paddy Power and Betfair went 33-1 from 66s for the Grand National on April 15, and Elliott confirmed Aintree was on the agenda.

He said: “We said we’d ride him a little bit more restrained today, just take our time a little bit more as we’ve been making a lot of use of him lately.

“I thought he ran a good race, he jumped well and he said when he got to the front he didn’t do a stroke. He gave the last a big jump and it’s nice to win it.