Moonshine back with a bang for the Smiths

However, the 12-year-old’s handicap mark – dropped in the weights in part due to the lengthy lay-off – means Mr Moonshine will almost certainly miss the cut for the Grand National and will, instead, line up in the shorter Topham Trophy, which is run 24 hours prior to the world’s greatest steeplechase.

This was not lost on the trainer’s indomitable husband Harvey, who remains convinced that his chaser is a National horse despite twice failing to see out the four- and-a-half-mile trip.

“It’s a pity the handicapper, Phil Smith, decided to leave him out of the National,” said an indignant Smith in the winner’s enclosure after this unexpected 12-length win at unfancied odds of 33-1.

Indeed, the show-jumping legend was the only person unsurprised by the manner of the victory in the Pertemps Network Hurdle, stating the horse was “spot on”.

This despite Mr Moonshine not running since pulling up abruptly in last season’s Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster.

Not only was it the horse’s first victory in two years, but connections felt nearly three miles on bottomless ground would not suit Mr Moonshine, who was reverting to smaller obstacles for the first time in 17 months.

However, he was always prominent under in-form jockey Danny Cook and was the only horse acting on the stamina-sapping ground when the runners turned into the home straight.

“He loved every minute of it, but I didn’t think the ground would suit him. He’s proved us all wrong, but he’s always had a bit of class,” said the winning trainer.

Mr Moonshine runs in the blue and yellow colours of the Smith-trained 2013 National winner Auroras Encore. It was a particularly poignant win for co-owner Jim Beaumont – his Neptune Equester died from a heart attack after finishing a gutsy second at Kelso last Thursday.

Beaumont teased Cook about the front-running tactics on rain-sodden ground, saying: “You just didn’t want to get your silks dirty.”

However, the jockey echoed the words of High Eldwick-based Smith before adding: “We just got the run of the race. I enjoyed that.”

Mr Moonshine’s stablemate Cloudy Too was a more than creditable third in Haydock’s Betfred Grand National to Kerry Lee’s Bishop Road – top weight against less exposed horses was the difference.

This was a 198th success this season for champion jockey-elect Richard Johnson and another notable triumph for Lee in her first season as a trainer.

Unlike Mr Moonshine, who is 94th in the National handicap – only 40 runners go to post – Bishop Road is 60th and virtually guaranteed a run in the big race.

With Johnson now assured of a first title, and on the brink of recording his first double-century of winners in a season, all that is missing from his CV is a National win. Twice runner-up, he may never get a better chance.

Vintage Clouds, one of an impressive clutch of younger horses at the Smith yard, was a battling second to Jonniesofa in the Albert Bartlett Hurdle. The grey looks a potential chaser in the making.