SPARSHOLT trainer Harry Whittington paid an emotional tribute to Arzal after his stable star had to be put down.

The six-year-old gave Whittington his first Grade 1 winner with a brilliant success in the Merseyrail Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree just four weeks ago.

But the French-bred gelding returned home with a minor leg injury, and his condition deteriorated after he picked up an infection.

Whittington said: “It’s a terrible blow – we’re all absolutely gutted.

“He was a horse with such huge ability. And in a small yard like ours, when you have a horse with that sort of character and talent you grow very attached to them. It’s very difficult to come to terms with it at the moment.”

Arzal won five of his 14 starts, earning prize-money of £106,639.

Whittington added: “In the post-race week, we discovered he had an infection in one of his hind legs.

“We tried to get that under control, but then we discovered he had a slight flexor tendon injury in his other hind leg and the infection passed through his body and got into the injured tendon.

“When you get an infection like that, the tendon deteriorates quite badly.”

Meanwhile, Wantage trainer Henry Candy got off the mark for 2016 when Noble Peace opened his account in a seven-furlong maiden stakes at Lingfield under Dane O’Neill.

Whatcombe trainer Paul Cole and jockey Luke Morris teamed up to land a 14-1 double at Brighton with easy winners Assassinate and Stormbound.

West Ilsley trainer Mick Channon continued his impressive start with a 539-1 across-the-card treble courtesy of Sayesse (8-1) and King Crimson (5-1) at Brighton and Siri (9-1) at Lingfield.

There was also a winner at Lingfield for Kingston Lisle trainer Heather Main with Aragon Knight, ridden by Hector Crouch.