Colonel Harry back with a bang as he scoops Grand Sefton

Colonel Harry’s remarkable comeback story had a jubilant ending over the famous Grand National fences at Aintree when he stormed to victory in the William Hill Grand Sefton Handicap Chase.

Off the track since suffering a fall that left him hospitalised and with his career and life in jeopardy at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, Jamie Snowden’s charge returned in rude health following 311 days off to cap a fine effort from the Lambourn handler and his team to nurse the eight-year-old back to peak condition.

In a race which which still presented a stern test of jumping over the National fences and collected plenty of casualties in the process, it was Dylan Cunha’s Mahons Glory that led the field along for the majority of the contest.

Plenty remained in contention as the pack swarmed on Mahons Glory after the last, but it was Colonel Harry (6-1) who produced a turn of foot once brought wide and asked by Sheehan, powering up the run-in for a famous two-length victory over Gaboriot, who upgraded last year’s third to second.

Snowden said: “It was a cracking performance and a fair effort as the horse was in hospital after his fall at Cheltenham.

“He picked up an infection in one of his back legs and was in hospital for the best part of two weeks. We struggled to get him over that and it was touch and go whether he would get over it and survive it, but thankfully he did and it has been a great effort from the whole team to get him back, it’s a wonderful result.

“He got a good, clean round and jumped from fence to fence and Gavin pulled him wide in the straight to get up.

“We worried it wasn’t going to be soft enough as he’s a horse who has graded form over both hurdles and fences on soft ground. He brought a bit of class into the race and even though the ground probably wasn’t ideal, thankfully we got away with it.”

On future plans, Snowden added: “We were going to go to the Paddy Power after a run in the Old Roan, but we couldn’t run in the Old Roan as it simply wasn’t soft enough so we’ve just had to be patient and wait.

“We’ve probably got away with it today and he won’t now be in the Paddy Power, but we’ll probably aim for the December Gold Cup now at Cheltenham, that might be the plan.”

Sheehan said: “I loved that. He was into the boards at the first couple, and I forced him to make a mistake at Becher’s – I was on a long one, he wasn’t really going forward. I was like go on, and he put down. He missed the next and then from the Canal Turn he came alive.

“I was off the bridle from three out. I was just rowing him and switching him to the outer going to two out, I thought I am in with a chance.

“I missed the last but still thought I had a good chance, and his class has come through.

“It’s great to see hm back. He has fantastic owners and it’s a great team effort. Jamie has a fantastic team.”

Several runners fell in an incident-packed race but all horses and jockeys were unscathed.