The marathon contest had been under consideration for the nine-year-old, but his Shapbased handler decided instead to run him in the easier six-runner event.

And after being sent clear by Brian Harding at the fifth-last, the well-backed 13-8 favourite always had the race at his mercy and sailed clear to come home 14lengths clear of Locksmith.

Todhunter, saddling his first winner for 74 days, said: "The stable has had a virus so we shut down for a while, and this is our first winner since. The horse was in the Borders National but I was worried about the trip on soft ground so I took the easier option. If it was good ground he would have run."