Spirit Of Shankly ensured a week of triumph and tragedy ended on a high note for Chipping Norton trainer Charlie Longsdon with an authoritative victory at Aintree on Saturday.

The well-backed 2-1 favourite was an appropriately-named winner of a two and a half mile handicap hurdle at the Merseyside venue as he came home a length and a quarter clear of Lycius under Noel Fehily.

Longsdon said: “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.”

It was Longsdon’s third winner of the week, but his success was marred by the tragic death of No No Romeo at Worcester on Wednesday.

The five-year-old looked poised to land a maiden hurdle when he broke down badly after the third-last flight, sustaining fatal injuries.

The trainer had made no secret of the high regard he held the gelding in, and he commented: “No No Romeo was a potential star for us.

“And it is so sad that we will never see him reach his full potential.

“These things do happen in racing, but it never gets any easier.”

Longsdon’s spirits were lifted a day later when Java Rose and Kalane gave him a 25-1 across-the-card double with wins at Ludlow and Southwell respectively.

Java Rose followed up her Warwick win after being left well clear by Catherines Well’s fall at the last flight in a mares’ novices hurdle over two miles and five furlongs, coming home by 15-lengths in the hands of Aidan Coleman.

And 20 minutes later, French import Kalane made a winning debut for Longsdon when taking a two-mile novices’ hurdle under Fehily by four and a half lengths from Monbeg Theatre.

Chastleton trainer John Gallagher notched another winner on the Flat when Ostralegus landed a mile handicap at Kempton.

The four-year-old finished powerfully for Ben Curtis to beat Baltic Fire by a length.

Gallagher reported that the gelding had schooled well over hurdles and would definitely be going over timber this winter.