GRAND National 100-1 winning trainer Venetia Williams marked her 30th anniversary sending out top racehorses by celebrating a sterling second for old stager Royale Pagaille in Haydock's Grade 1 Betfair Chase on Saturday.

The horse was bidding for a third win on the trot in the £200,000 race, having also finished second beforehand.

Venetia, whose stables are near Ross-on-Wye, saw a hat-trick as “a big ask” given his unfavoured drier ground over the 3m 1f course, with the bookies only rating him as an 18-1 outsider.

But he produced a superb performance under jockey Charlie Deutsch to chase home Dan Skelton's 10/11 favourite Grey Dawning, finishing just 2 3/4L behind to take the £43,730 prize for second.

And the proud as punch King's Caple trainer posted: "He didn’t win the Betfair Chase….but he put up a terrific try.

"Royale Pagaille's superb second with placings reversed from last year’s success, brings him a brilliant Grade 1 Betfair Chase record of 2nd, 1st, 1st, 2nd.

"The outsider of the field on unfavourable drier ground, he tried his 11-year-old heart out, as the commentator said in running: “…with medals blazing on his chest”. How proud can one be!"

Owner Rich Ricci said: “I was going to retire him but he seems to love it still and he loves the course. He ran a stormer...

“I’m absolutely delighted I came to Haydock... The reception he got when he came back was lovely and I love coming here.

“I was hoping we’d get a bit more rain before today, but I think we might come back to the Peter Marsh (at Haydock in January).”

While Venetia was watching Royale Pagaille, the horse's stable mate Martator was delivering another superb performance for her at Ascot, taking second under jockey Ned Fox in the £100,000 Castello Banfi Hurst Park Handicap Chase over 2m 1f.

The 11/1 shot chased home another Dan Skelton mount, Calico, finishing 2 1/4L back to claim a £23,920 pay out.

Most famously, Venetia oversaw Mon Mome's incredible 100-1 success in the 2009 Grand National under the late Liam Treadwell.

And hoping for "many more years still to come" after 30 years as a trainer, she said: "It's the race people know the world over really."

Her National Hunt riding career was halted when she broke her neck in a race at Worcester in 1988, and already an assistant trainer, she obtained her licence to train solo seven years later.

"My first runner actually finished second and my second runner was a winner," Venetia told the BBC.

"And again, it was at Worcester. Worcester's had a few key milestones one way or another – it started and ended two different careers in racing."

Discussing what she had learnt, she said: "I think it's important to appreciate every single winner, but equally.

"And it's important not to be too judgemental, I think, over the horse's performance.

"They are animals and they have good days and bad days... and one just has to accept it and move on."