Sam Thomas’ eight-year-old was the 10-11 favourite in a small field of three, with Ben Pauling’s Mambonumberfive considered his key rival at 11-8. It was the outsider, Dan Skelton’s Mirabad, who made the running at a good pace and that took its toll as Mambonumberfive lost ground over his fences. Steel Ally fared best of all, taking over at the head of affairs turning into the straight to canter home 10 lengths ahead under Dylan Johnston. “I was thrilled to see him put a bit of distance between him and the horses behind him. “We’ve got a few weeks to make a decision and I couldn’t say either way today, but he’s a lovely horse and a lovely horse for the future.”

Source: Express February 07, 2026 14:57 UTC