Cogry got no further than the first fence in the 2016 renewal of the Randoxhealth.com Handicap Chase, but the eight-year-old atoned for that early departure with a fine display of jumping. 

 

Last season's Scottish Grand National runner-up travelled strongly throughout the three mile, one furlong contest with 16 runners and galloped out strongly to beat Singlefarmpayment (Tom George/Adrian Heskin by four lengths with the only moment of concern coming with a slight mistake at the final fence. 

 

Sam Twiston-Davies said: "It's nice to be back at Cheltenham and on a horse like Cogry, who is very tough and all heart. This is the horse that got one of my best friends, Ryan Hatch, out of the game and hopefully, he will be back before too long.

 

"Cogry was very brave today and has done very well, so I am really happy. We had a communication problem at the last - I was trying to go for a big one to make sure that he came up and he did, but it was one of those that was a little bit of a mess. It's better to be safe than sorry. 

 

"He saw out the Scottish Grand National really well so it was just a question of getting him jumping. When we turned in, he has picked up going up the hill really well and maybe got a bit lonely late on, but it was a solid effort.

 

"Graham Jelley [owner] sadly can't be here today but I promised him yesterday that we would make up for the Scottish National, when I nabbed Cogry on Vicente. It was nice that we could pay him back today.

 

"I would imagine the Randox Health Grand National (at Aintree in April) will be the dream. He is a tough horse who has done very well in races like the Scottish National, but didn't have the best of luck in the Becher Chase last year when making a bad mistake at the first. I guess he will have to have a little practice along the way, but I suppose Aintree is the long-term dream."