Having landed the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last month, the 11-year-old Home By The Lee (5-1) made it back-to-back Grade One victories as he came home the impressive seven-length winner of the JET2 Liverpool Hurdle on Grand National Day.

Successful trainer Joseph O’Brien said: “We’ve been riding him a bit different this season and obviously he’s in great shape. We’ve been learning about him as well and Hewick has set up the two races for him pretty good because it’s hard to get a horse to put on the tempo all of the way.

“We had a plan that 'JJ' would inject some pace down the back straight with a circuit to go and then whoever would beat him would outstay him, but he outstayed everyone at Cheltenham and he outstayed everyone today.

“We got it wrong here before today. Everyone said the track here didn’t suit him but we were happy to take the blame for the two trips here before. We felt that if we got him here in the same shape as he was at Cheltenham and could employ similar tactics then he could potentially outstay them again.

“He’s a superstar, but he’s a tricky customer you know and not an easy one to deal with.”

Winning rider JJ Slevin said: “He’s a brilliant horse. Joseph told me to try and run the sting out of them today. He didn’t go through the race as well early as he did at Cheltenham, but he can do that, he’s just an unbelievable horse. (The Stayers’ Hurdle/Liverpool Hurdle double) is a very, very hard thing to do, but he’s just a very special horse.

"It’s just unbelievable, but Joseph is an unbelievable trainer, he had two runners here yesterday and Zeus Power won the Grade 1 (Sefton Novices’ Hurdle) and Solness just went down in the Melling Chase so it’s unbelievable what he can do really.

“Joseph said, if you’re going to get caught, better to get caught for going too soon than for hanging on to him, so we thought we’d try that and see what happens, and thankfully he’s burnt them all off.

“I could hear and feel them coming, and I was rowing away, but he took a bit of heart from that and jumped the last and took off and away he went. It was a good performance. He’s got endless reserves of stamina - he’d go around again if he could. He’s a great horse.

“He definitely feels like he’s better than ever and his form seems to show that. Fair play to Joseph, he’s kept him in great form. I’ve asked for the numbercloth, as I did at Cheltenham - these races are hard to win and you need to remember them.”

Trainer Dan Skelton said of the runner-up Take No Chances: “She’s brilliant. I said beforehand, I’d trust her with my life. We’re super-proud of her. She travelled into it so well and jumped beautifully. Fair play to the winner - what a horse. We were never going to get by him, but she’s run beautifully and has had another great year - we’re very proud of her."