Rank outsider Lisnagar Oscar pulled off a shock win to claim the Stayers' Hurdle on Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival.
Ridden by Adam Wedge, who claimed his first Festival winner, Lisnagar Oscar finished two lengths clear of Ronald Pump, with Bacardys third.
Hot favourite Paisley Park, who has been such a dominant force in the division, including in this race last year, never threatened to get in a serious blow.
Last year's winner Frodon and Bryony Frost finished well down the field.
Wedge said: "Unbelievable, it's fantastic. The little horse has tried his heart out. I couldn't believe it when I hit the front, I was just praying he'd keep galloping - he fought like a little lion up that hill."
Trainer Rebecca Curtis added: "He [Wedge] is brilliant, such a solid jockey, so I'm delighted for him as it's his first Festival win."
Samcro edged a titanic tussle with Melon to prevail in a photo-finish at the end of a memorable edition of the Marsh Novices' Chase.
The pair flashed past the line almost inseparable, but Samcro rallied when he had to and won by barely a whisker - officially a nose - with admirable veteran Faugheen just a length further behind in third, as Irish horses dominated the finish.
It was redemption for Samcro, who lost his form so alarmingly at times following his 2018 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle victory but has now doubled his Festival tally.
After home hope Itchy Feet unseated his rider with a circuit still to run, the Irish contingent took over - and it was Gordon Elliott's Samcro and Davy Russell who proved just the best, from Willie Mullins' brave runner-up Melon.
Russell was full of praise for Samcro's winning performance, and admitted he was far from sure they had got the better of Patrick Mullins on Melon - until the photo-finish result was announced.
"It was perfect," he said.
"He missed the second last, winged the last and went ahead to win.
"Patrick's horse battled very gamely - I thought he'd just chinned me.
"He actually headed me - but to be fair to my horse, he was so game. He's as brave as a lion, and he got back up in the last stride."
Elliott added: "He's the forgotten horse, but he's one of the favourites in the yard.
"We love him, he's brilliant."
Red-hot rider Barry Geraghty added a fourth winner of the week, as the Elliott-trained Sire Du Berlais repeated last year's success in the Pertemps Final, beating stablemate The Storyteller .
Min came good for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend in the Ryanair Chase.
Twice a runner-up in previous visits to the Cheltenham Festival, the Rich Ricci-owned nine-year-old enjoyed himself in front and just had enough in the tank to hold the strong late challenge of the Harry Whittington-trained Saint Calvados.
A Plus Tard had to settle for third.
Mullins said: "He's been a super horse for us and it's great he's had his day here.
"We used the wrong tactics on him in the Champion Chase last year and it didn't work out. He likes to be up there, Paul let him do that and here he is again at the top table."
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
Rocketman
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Starring: Taron Egerton, Richard Madden, Jamie Bell
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%20and%20electric%20motor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20power%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20700hp%20at%207%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20torque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20720Nm%20at%202%2C250rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100km%2Fh%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E330kph%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh1.14%20million%20(%24311%2C000)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Brighton, Sunday, 6pm UAE
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):
Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs: 2018 Maserati GranTurismo/GranCabrio
Price, base Dh485,000 (GranTurismo) and Dh575,000 (GranCabrio)
Engine 4.7L V8
Transmission Six-speed automatic
Power 460hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 520Nm @ 4,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.3L (GranTurismo) and 14.5L (GranCabrio) / 100km
