This Prestige Hurdle over 3200m saw an almost all the way winner on a day three of the four jumps races saw leaders salute and in the other event the winner sat a close fourth then moved into second across the top. Thenamesbond carrying 65kg always held a two to three length lead for the vast majority of the race and then was tackled across the top and actually headed narrowly turning for home. However the 8yo was foxing and regained the front to lead over the last fence and went on to score by half a length in 3:40.62. It was his tenth win in fifty-nine starts and his seventh as a hurdler plus he has won once as a steeplechaser and that is where his future will be as the weights get too much. He has clearly come up better this campaign as last time never won a jumps race until August and that came at his ninth start in whereas today he was second up and fluent. Yadarm was a brave second after being back and wide and then moving up deep a lap out before reaching fourth down the backstraight the last time. He challenged across the top wide and then when third turning for home fought hard to get into second with 50m to run. If he was not wide for so long in the race then surely would have won comfortably. Ooee ran his usual no nonsense race for third after racing second, third or fourth at times but always had the winning leader in his sights. He challenged across the top and actually took a narrow lead turning for home and still led at the 200m but was headed over the final fence. Just Got Home ran a good fourth after settling down last and then making a rapid wide run across the top and reaching fifth before getting into fourth turning for home. The rest were flat to the floorboards across the top and unable to quicken with the margins from the winner being over seven lengths to two runners being pulled up without clearing the final fence when out of contention. One of those was the favourite Sea King under 70kg that had hung according to his rider throughout but it was a shocker for one of his quality. Until he is put over the steeples this campaign and finds a wetter track it will not be known if he has not come up properly this time in but the 10yo deserves the benefit of the doubt being a fourteen-time jumps winner (nine as a hurdler and five as a steeplechaser).