Alan King insists he feels no disappointment that Edwardstone was unable to back up his impressive Arkle victory at Aintree.

Edwardstone enjoyed a terrific campaign with top-class honours in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase, followed by a pair of Grade Two victories in the Wayward Lad and Kingmaker at Kempton and Warwick respectively.

Yet it was his scintillating run at Cheltenham that really underlined his superiority in the two-mile novice chasing division, as he powered to a four-and-a-half-length success at the Cheltenham Festival.

However, despite being backed to 4-7 favouritism for the Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree on his seventh run of the campaign, the Robert Abrey and Ian Thurtle-owned eight-year-old had to play second fiddle to Gentleman De Mee.

Barbury Castle-based King felt he had run a little below par, but not by much, and will now look forward to next autumn when the Queen Mother Champion Chase will be his ultimate target.

He said: “Edwardstone is fine. He’s obviously finished now and he’ll head back to the owners very soon.

“He got beat by a better horse on the day, I think. There are no excuses this end.

“It was still a very good performance. He only ran below 2lb below his Cheltenham form.

“I think on that sharp track and on better ground, the other horse was a little bit quicker. I was far from disappointed.”