Koktail Divin takes full advantage of Lulamba blunder

Koktail Divin bounced back from defeat at Cheltenham as Lulamba came unstuck in the William Hill Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree.

Ridden by Darragh O’Keeffe for Henry de Bromhead, the 3-1 chance raced handily throughout in a field of five, in which Nicky Henderson’s Lulamba was the 1-2 favourite.

However, Lulamba and Nico de Boinville parted company at the 10th fence, and while 22-1 shot Blueking d’Oroux led he had Brown Advisory non-stayer Koktail Divin in his slipstream and it was the latter who pressed on to prevail by two and a quarter lengths.

De Bromhead said: “That’s a great start. Darragh was brilliant on him, I thought they went a real good gallop and he jumps amazing.

“I think he might have been idling a bit and I was starting to get a bit worried, but then he began to pick up again, he was relentless the whole way really.

“We really fancied him at Cheltenham over three miles and turning in I thought he looked the winner, but he clearly didn’t get home.

“He won’t go to Punchestown now, I was even a little bit apprehensive bringing him here after Cheltenham. It will be next year when you see him again, maybe at Down Royal in the race for second-season novices.”

Paul Nicholls said of the runner-up, who did his best in rallying against the winner: “It was an unbelievable run considering he made a crucial mistake three out.

“He’s getting better now he’s jumping better, he’s more assured and I think a step up to three miles next year will suit him.

“The only race he could run in before the end of the season is at Sandown, but I’d say he’s done enough.

“Next season I think he’ll improve again.”

Meanwhile, Henderson was left cursing a lack of options after Lulamba finished the race fit and fresh – albeit without De Boinville in the saddle.

He said: “He’s so fresh, but we’ve got nowhere to go have we?

“I didn’t put him in anything at Punchestown because there isn’t a race for him, you’ve only got two miles or three miles.

“He’s as fresh as anything and he actually won the race – he sprinted up the run-in. Unfortunately there wasn’t a jockey on his back.”