SPIRIT Of Shankly got a good reception from the Aintree locals after a clear-cut victory in the Betfred Goals Galore Handicap Hurdle for Cotswold trainer Charlie Longsdon.

Sent off the 2-1 favourite on his first appearance at the track since early April, Spirit Of Shankly moved through the two-and-a-half-mile contest with ease and led at the top of the home straight.

Several slick leaps kept Spirit Of Shankly in front and he found plenty on the run-in to fend off Lyvius by a length-and-a-quarter under jockey Noel Fehily.

Chipping Norton-based Longsdon said: “We were very torn between coming here and going for the Silver Trophy at Chepstow, but most of our horses were coming here.

“If I could have got another top jockey to have ridden him at Chepstow, he might have gone there, but the likes of AP (McCoy) and Barry Geraghty weren’t available.

“We tried to get Davy Russell, but he had to go to Wexford.

“We decided to bring him up here so Noel could ride him, the prize-money isn’t as good as Chepstow, but he had to win today and it was important he did it in Liverpool.

“He had a wind operation in the summer which has helped.

“Noel said he is really running to the line now, which he hasn’t been able to in the past.

“I wouldn’t be worried about stepping him up to three miles and he could go to Newbury for the Hennessy meeting in a month’s time if there is a race for him.

“It’s a shame the owner isn’t here today. He flew back from Hong Kong and realised he’d lost his car keys.”

Meanwhile, Blaklion represented the same connections of top-class performer The New One in registering a commanding success in the totepool Persian War Novices’ Hurdle at Chepstow.

The 8-1 chance, who has now won all four starts for the Nigel Twiston-Davies stable in Naunton, quickened away over the flights in the home straight under Jamie Moore.

He held off the trainer’s son Sam, aboard Vicente, by a length-and-three-quarters.

The handler said: “We’ve always liked him and I think he’s more of a three-mile horse than a two-mile one. All roads lead to Cheltenham and he’ll now go to the Paddy Power meeting.”

Twiston-Davies also had a success at Stratford through Foxtail Hill (6-1) by 15 lengths under Ryan Hatch.