Cholmondley trainer Donald McCain rarely leaves Bangor-on-Dee without a winner and the one-eyed horse Wazowski kept up his good strike rate at the course, writes ARTHUR SHONE.

The winner made every yard under Theo Gillard in the first division of the Weatherby’s handicap hurdle.

McCain said: “He is a smashing horse. He only has one eye, but he is as genuine as they come. This is the quickest ground that he has ever run on but he has handled it well.”

In the second division of the Handicap hurdle Donald McCain had another fancied runner with Dancetothelight with his daughter Abbie n the plate but they had to settle for the runner-up slot behind the David Pipe-trained Malagan.

Colin Tizzard is a rare visitor to the North Wales course but he made the long journey pay dividends after Carrick Roads at 11-1 ran out a game winner by a length under Jonjo O’Neill Jnr.

Tizzard said: “I came here for the ground today as it is always hard running horses at this time of the year with drying grounds.”

The Ian Williams-trained Solar Impulse rolled back the years after the Westerner gelding landed the feature race on the card, the Weatherby’s Handicap chase.

The winner of the 2016 Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival eased to a 10 lengths victory under Jamie Moore.

The opening race went to the Dai Rees trained Gone Platinum under Lorcan Williams who beat the long-time leader Barton Knoll.

Rees said: “We were a bit worried that the handicapper might put him up after he won at Ffos Las six days ago.

“He seems to like Bangor and we were pleased that the ground still had a bit of juice in it.”

There was carnage in the Novices chase, where only seven of the 14 runners completed the race.

Victory went to the Sheila Lewis trained Change Ur Tune who sprang a 20-1 shock under Adam Wedge.

Lewis was recording her first win for two years and said: “ I quite fancied him for this race and I am very pleased he has done it today.”

The first division of the bumper provided trainer Jonjo O’Neill with a birthday present following his charge’s victory and providing the icing on the cake, his son Jonjo O’Neill Jnr rode Orrisadle to victory.

O’Neill said: “He will go hurdling next season but he is a chaser in the making.”

The second division of the bumper provided Jonjo O’Neill Jnr a treble with Lair Du Vent and a double for trainer Tizzard.

The attendance of 3,190 was down on the 3,800 who attended the corresponding meeting last year.

Takingrisks caused a 25-1 surprise in the Scottish Grand National for trainer Nicky Richards and jockey Sean Quinlan.

Richards, whose father Gordon won the race twice, way back in 1969 with Playlord and again in 1990 with Four Trix, has enjoyed a resurgent couple of seasons.