Tag Archive for: Paul Nicholls

Bravemansgame ‘twice the horse’ he was at Cheltenham last year

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Paul Nicholls is increasingly bullish about the chances of Bravemansgame in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Owned by John Dance and Bryan Drew, the eight-year-old took the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day with a degree of ease, beating Royale Pagaille by 14 lengths.

It was his second success of the season, having sauntered to another easy victory in the Charlie Hall at Wetherby in October.

Though he has yet to tackle the extended three-and-a-quarter-mile test the Gold Cup presents, the champion trainer is happy to keep him under wraps until March 17.

“He is fine. We think he has a lovely chance,” Nicholls said.

“He is unbeaten this year, a different horse to last year. He is big and strong and well – a lovely chance he’s got.”

A best-priced 9-1 for the Gold Cup, which Nicholls has won on four occasions – including saddling the first three home in 2008 – Bravemansgame has yet to prove he has the stamina for this trip.

On his sole visit to Cheltenham, he finished third to Bob Olinger in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs in 2021.

Nicholls is left non-plussed by the naysayers. He said: “No one knows if he will stay three miles two (furlongs), as he has never been three-two.

“All I know he has won a King George and horses have got to stay to win a King George, and plenty of mine who have won a King George have won a Gold Cup.

“He won a point-to-point when he was four. You just take no notice of criticism and know your own thoughts.

“He wasn’t right last year. He ran at Cheltenham and he was third in that, but that was when he was a five-year-old. He was a young horse then and is twice the horse he was. He has strengthened up and is totally different.”

Bravemansgame travelled supremely well under Harry Cobden at Kempton and was not stopping at the end of the race.

Nicholls believes he will put it up to last year’s Gold Cup winner, the Henry de Bromhead-trained A Plus Tard and Willie Mullins’ Galopin Des Champs, who is the current favourite, having landed the John Durkan Memorial at Punchestown before Christmas.

Paul Nicholls feels Bravemansgame has a big chance in an open Gold Cup
Paul Nicholls feels Bravemansgame has a big chance in an open Gold Cup (Nigel French/PA)

Nicholls added: “He got the trip beautifully at Kempton. What I like about him, if the ground is half-decent, he has got enough pace to travel and he jumped well. He can just save and turn in, then I think he has got a lovely chance.

“I’m very happy with his prep and I think we are doing the right thing by not running him. He is very fresh and very fit.

“He will go on anything, but hopefully on Gold Cup day, unless we get torrent of rain, on that track you usually get good to soft, which will be perfect.

“It is an open race. The short-priced favourite is short enough, because of where he is trained. He has done well, but is short enough probably. But he’s the one we all have to aim at.

“It’s a Gold Cup and there are lots of good horses in the race, but it is an open contest. The waters were muddied a bit on Saturday (Cotswold Chase) and it is an interesting old race you know, but we are looking forward to it.”

Half Dozen reasons to be happy for Nicholls at Hereford

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Paul Nicholls wondered if Half Dozen had a problem after Harry Cobden’s mount was a market drifter ahead of the Black Mountain Botanicals Novices’ Handicap Hurdle at Hereford.

Yet the strapping six-year-old made light work of his nine rivals in the two-mile heat, scoring by a length and a half at odds of 8-1.

The champion trainer said: “We thought his leg had fallen off, because he drifted from 4-1 to 10-1 or something.

“We thought he had a nice little chance, but he has just been big and backward, needed lots of time and experience.

“He was very keen early in the season, he just wants a bit of time. He will make a nice chaser next year.”

Honneur d'Ajonc/Hereford
Honneur d’Ajonc gave the Jane Williams yard another success at Hereford (Simon Milham/PA)

Jane Williams has enjoyed plenty of success at the track in recent weeks and Honneur d’Ajonc (100-30) took the spoils in the Hereford Motor Group Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase in the hands of David Noonan.

A trio were in with a chance at the last, but the six-year-old forged clear to go one better than he had at Leicester a month ago.

The Devon handler said: “He isn’t very big, but he is agile. He is a classy horse by Diamond Boy. I’d like to find a few more of them.

“I bought him in the July sale as a two-year-old. He was inexpensive, because he was small, but he was a very good juvenile. We took an extra year, because we didn’t think he’d be a chaser, but in fact, he’s been a fabulous chaser.

“Patrick Waldron, who has just come into racing ownership, his colours only just arrived and he had a winner with his first runner. How about that! That’s a lucky owner – that’s what we want, lucky owners!”

Only The Bold
Only The Bold was an easy winner for Fergus Gillard and trainer David Pipe (Simon Milham/PA)

Only The Bold (2-1) followed up his impressive chasing debut at Bangor in November, defying a 10lb penalty under Fergus Gillard and powering to a five-length success in the Ely Memorial Fund Handicap Chase.

Winning trainer David Pipe said: “This is a lot better ground than he had at Bangor and it probably happened quick enough for him today, but Fergus was patient on him. They went a good gallop and they did it nicely in the end.

“There are no big plans for him. He is not over-big, so whether he will jump round the big tracks or not, I don’t know. We’ll see. He is by Jeremy and a typical one by him. He beat (Grade Two-winning hurdler and chaser) Tommy’s Oscar in his point-to-point.

“We’ll what the handicapper does and obviously he is still a novice as well.”

Galop De Chasse/Hereford
Galop De Chasse gave Venetia Williams a welcome winner at her local track (Simon Milham/PA)

Galop De Chasse came with a well-timed run under Charlie Deutsch to claim the Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Handicap Chase, beating Rose Sea Has by a comfortable length and a half in something of a rough two-mile race.

Venetia Williams, who was ending a surprising 20-runner barren spell, said: “He has been knocking on the door for quite a long time, with seconds and thirds, so it is great to come to the local course and get his head in front. It was quite a competitively-run race.”

Atlanta Brave (5-6 favourite) followed up his recent Chepstow success, relishing a step up in trip to take the Cazoo Novices’ Hurdle by a cosy three-quarters of a length success from Hauraki Golf.

Kerry Lee’s string is in great heart and the strapping five-year-old looks every inch a chaser in the making.

Lee said: “He is such a lovely horse and is a delight to train. He is so easy to do anything and everything with.

“He is quite far forward for his age and size, because he is a very big horse, and you can only imagine he will improve with age and experience.

“I wanted to give him another relatively low-key run, but we will look at a bigger prize in the spring. He is a three-mile chaser in the making, so anything we do now is bonus territory.”

The wait goes on for jockey Denis O’Regan, whose bid to complete a full set of victories at jumps tracks in Britain and Ireland saw him draw a blank with his two rides.

“We’ll just keep chipping away and hope we get there one day,” he said with a customary smile.

Bennys King/Hereford
Bennys King gave Heidi Palin her first winning ride under Rules (Simon Milham/PA)

It was a red-letter day for Heidi Palin, who gained her first success under rules when Bennys King caused a 20-1 shock in the hunter chase, beating Magic Saint by three-quarters of a length.

Stage Star leads Cheltenham hat-trick for jubilant Nicholls

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Stage Star put himself in the Cheltenham Festival picture with a fine display of jumping on Trials Day – the first leg of a brilliant 102-1 treble at Prestbury Park for champion trainer Paul Nicholls.

Sent off the 11-4 favourite for the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase and carrying top-weight of 12st, the son of Fame And Glory produced an exhibition round from the front end to coast home the best part of four-lengths clear of runner-up Datsalrightgino in the hands of Harry Cobden.

In the aftermath, Coral went 10-1 from 25s for the Grade One Turners Novices’ Chase at the Festival, but his future target appears still to be decided.

“He has shown what he is made of today. It has just taken him a little while to get right,” said Nicholls.

“He won the Challow last year and we thought he was good. He was very good at Warwick then it all went wrong at Newbury. I think that day several horses didn’t enjoy the ground and he hung. He had a nice confidence booster at Plumpton and he has done that very nicely.

“It is a big weight to carry around there and do that well. I’m thrilled with that. I thought he was nicely in off 142. He is only a novice and he has a bit of experience around here and it means we can come back here in March if we want to in one of the novice chases. He was a Grade One winner last season and he is obviously a very nice horse, 142 was a very nice mark if he put it all together.

Paul Nicholls had a big day at Cheltenham
Paul Nicholls had a big day at Cheltenham (David Davies/PA)

“That (the Cheltenham Festival) is a long way off. He would get three miles, but it depends on the ground and opposition. He will be well worth running. He is only a novice once.

“I thought the ground was that bit softer how he likes it today and he is a novice and I wasn’t sure I wanted to go three miles at Newbury as I have something else for that anyway. There are not lots of options for horses like these.

“The top-weight should be the best horse in the race if it all goes right and I think 142 was a fair mark. He is a Challow Hurdle winner and he should be a 150 horse in time. He will be a smart chaser. He is just getting his act together and we are learning how to train him. The day at Newbury he was beat the ground was very quick. He is much better on that ground.”

Nicholls and Cobden soon added to their tally when Il Ridoto (9-2) held off the 7-2 favourite Fugitif to land the Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase.

Festival Trials Day – Cheltenham Racecourse – Saturday 28th January
Il Ridoto ridden by Harry Cobden (right) clears a fence before going on to win the Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase during Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham Racecourse (David Davies/PA)

A switch to front-running tactics combined with the application of cheekpieces had the desired effect and the winner is likely to return for the handicap over the same track and trip at the Festival.

“I thought he had a big chance of winning here the last day (when fourth in the Paddy Power New Year’s Day Handicap Chase) but he sort of ducked in left handed and fell through the last and that sort of cost him any chance really,” said Nicholls.

“I think few were doubting about whether he wanted a flat track and whether he truly stayed. I thought he was kidding us a little bit as he was coming out of his races so well and the cheekpieces have focused his mind today. He travelled and jumped brilliantly and had a great ride so it’s superb.

“When you’re fit and well you’re better off on the speed around here and I said to him to go out and ride him like he rode Stage Star. If it happens great and if it doesn’t so be it.”

He went on: “I said if he didn’t win today we’d have to go for a flat track but I thought he’d gallop up the hill – he’s just been kidding us and today he did it nicely.

“I haven’t really got a plan for him to be honest, if he hadn’t have won I was going to go for a race at Newbury just before the Festival on a flat track but now he has I suppose we’ll come back here.

“I wouldn’t be afraid of possibly considering the Topham Chase for him, as I think two miles and five furlongs around Aintree would suit him nicely.”

It was left to stable conditional Angus Cheleda and willing partner Hacker Des Places to put the finishing touches on a fantastic day for team Ditcheat when they combined to land the concluding SSS Super Alloys Handicap Hurdle.

The victory brought up a 140-1 across-the-card treble of their own for the Owners Group, with the champion trainer revealing the Betfair Hurdle will be up next.

Nicholls said: “It was a long way from the second last to the line! He’s in the Betfair Hurdle in two weeks’ time, which has always been my aim.

“I just felt we needed to get a run into him. He has been in training for so long without a run. He should improve a little bit for today’s run, and will get a little penalty but Angus will take that off and we’ll go to Newbury.”

Cheleda added: “I thought I got there a bit too soon really and then the race fell apart at two out, so I thought I’d kick off the bend and he’s galloped all the way up the hill. It’s my first winner at Cheltenham for the boss so it’s a special moment.”

Stage Star produces fine performance off top-weight at Cheltenham

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Stage Star put himself in the Cheltenham Festival picture with a fine display of jumping on Trials Day

A Grade One winner over hurdles, Paul Nicholls’ seven-year-old was making just his fourth start over fences having got his chasing career back on track at Plumpton earlier this month.

Sent off the 11-4 favourite for the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase and carrying top-weight of 12st, the son of Fame And Glory produced an exhibition round from the front end to coast home the best part of four-lengths clear of runner-up Datsalrightgino in the hands of Harry Cobden.

In the aftermath, Coral went 10-1 from 25s for the Grade One Turners Novices’ Chase at the Festival, but his future target appears still to be decided.

“He has shown what he is made of today. It has just taken him a little while to get right,” said Nicholls.

“He won the Challow last year and we thought he was good. He was very good at Warwick then it all went wrong at Newbury. I think that day several horses didn’t enjoy the ground and he hung. He had a nice confidence booster at Plumpton and he has done that very nicely.

“It is a big weight to carry around there and do that well. I’m thrilled with that. I thought he was nicely in off 142. He is only a novice and he has a bit of experience around here and it means we can come back here in March if we want to in one of the novice chases. He was a Grade One winner last season and he is obviously a very nice horse, 142 was a very nice mark if he put it all together.

“That (the Cheltenham Festival) is a long way off. He would get three miles, but it depends on the ground and opposition. He will be well worth running. He is only a novice once.

“I thought the ground was that bit softer how he likes it today and he is a novice and I wasn’t sure I wanted to go three miles at Newbury as I have something else for that anyway. There are not lots of options for horses like these.

“The top-weight should be the best horse in the race if it all goes right and I think 142 was a fair mark. He is a Challow Hurdle winner and he should be a 150 horse in time. He will be a smart chaser. He is just getting his act together and we are learning how to train him. The day at Newbury he was beat the ground was very quick. He is much better on that ground.”

Nicholls and Cobden soon added to their tally when Il Ridoto (9-2) held off the 7-2 favourite Fugitif to land the Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase.

Festival Trials Day – Cheltenham Racecourse – Saturday 28th January
Il Ridoto ridden by Harry Cobden (right) clears a fence before going on to win the Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase during Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham Racecourse (David Davies/PA)

A switch to front-running tactics combined with the application of cheekpieces had the desired effect and the winner is likely to return for the handicap over the same track and trip at the Festival.

“I thought he had a big chance of winning here the last day (when fourth in the Paddy Power New Year’s Day Handicap Chase) but he sort of ducked in left handed and fell through the last and that sort of cost him any chance really,” said Nicholls.

“I think few were doubting about whether he wanted a flat track and whether he truly stayed. I thought he was kidding us a little bit as he was coming out of his races so well and the cheekpieces have focused his mind today. He travelled and jumped brilliantly and had a great ride so it’s superb.

“When you’re fit and well you’re better off on the speed around here and I said to him to go out and ride him like he rode Stage Star. If it happens great and if it doesn’t so be it.”

He went on: “I said if he didn’t win today we’d have to go for a flat track but I thought he’d gallop up the hill – he’s just been kidding us and today he did it nicely.

“I haven’t really got a plan for him to be honest, if he hadn’t have won I was going to go for a race at Newbury just before the Festival on a flat track but now he has I suppose we’ll come back here.

“I wouldn’t be afraid of possibly considering the Topham Chase for him, as I think two miles and five furlongs around Aintree would suit him nicely.”

No rush for Red Risk plans after Kempton near-miss

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Connections are hopeful they have found the key to Red Risk after his gallant performance in the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton on Saturday.

The Paul Nicholls-trained eight-year-old started at 25-1 for the handicap, in which he was partnered by young conditional Freddie Gingell who eased an 11st 2lb burden with his 7lb claim.

After two miles and five furlongs, Red Risk and Dan Skelton’s West Balboa crossed the line in unison and a photo finish was required to announce the latter horse a short-head winner.

Despite the narrow loss connections are thrilled with their runner, who has not always shown consistency to match his ability but seems to have appreciated a longer gap in between races.

Tom Palin of owners Middleham Park Racing said: “I’m still convinced he won! I was there watching it and I thought he held on, my racecard went flying, I was jumping around like he’d won and then they called the photo.

“We were getting caught up in the emotion of it all, he was 25-1 but we thought he was a big price.

“He’s never really backed up runs consecutively like that, he does have a knack of winning and then disappearing, so we tried something a little different this time and that was leaving him as long as we dare between races.

“That was 49 days since his Newbury win, it seems that that’s the key to him – getting him nice and fresh and really happy at home. It was delight more than anything that the theory was right.

“He was terribly unlucky not to win the race, but he’s run an absolute blinder and everybody would have taken that at the start of the season. We’re delighted we’ve got another nice horse on our hands.”

Red Risk was raised 5lb to 147 for his efforts, but Palin feels his performance warrants some Graded entries further along in the season.

Paul Nicholls' Red Risk
Paul Nicholls’ Red Risk (John Walton/PA)

“He may be between a rock and a hard place, at the very top end of handicaps and maybe just lacking a couple of pounds for Grade Twos,” he said.

“If you took the Relkeel that Marie’s Rock won a few weeks ago, if he was 145 he’d have been entitled to have a go but you kind of have to be around 150 to be in the running.

“He could just be a bit betwixt and between, but he does deserve a place in those in those kind of races.

“Paul’s mentioning the National Spirit at Fontwell on February 16, that might come a bit soon and at Aintree there’s a handicap for him there on the Friday, but he could be a bit high for that.

“There is a Grade Two at Auteuil in June, a week before Royal Ascot, that’s a race I think he could go very well in too.”

Ultima aim for Threeunderthrufive

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Threeunderthrufive is likely to head straight to the Cheltenham Festival where he will bid to give the McNeill family a first victory in the race they sponsor – the Ultima Handicap Chase.

Twice a Grade Two scorer as a novice chaser, he was quietly fancied for the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury earlier in the season only for his foray into open company over the larger obstacles to end in disappointment when regular pilot Adrian Heskin was unseated at the first fence.

However, having skipped a run in the Welsh Grand National over the Christmas period, Threeunderthrufive and Heskin were in perfect harmony during Warwick’s Classic Chase on Saturday – giving a bold sight from the front end before the testing ground took its toll in the closing stages.

Connections were delighted with the display and confirmed the eight-year-old will now be targeted at the opening day handicap at the Festival – for which he is a best priced 25-1 with Bet365 – before a tilt at one of the various Nationals later in the spring.

Adrian Heskin riding Threeunderthrufive on their way to winning the mallardjewellers.com Novices’ Chase during day three of the November Meeting at Cheltenham Racecourse in November 2021
Adrian Heskin riding Threeunderthrufive on their way to winning the mallardjewellers.com Novices’ Chase during day three of the November Meeting at Cheltenham Racecourse in November 2021 (Tim Goode/PA)

“We were really pleased in what was really his first start over fences this season having unseated in the Coral Gold Cup,” said Iain Turner, racing manager for the McNeill family.

“You could say it was only his second start of the season and also quite a time since his first at Wetherby in October.

“I think the ground was just testing for him and I think the big disappointment is it was good to soft when we entered and if it stayed at that it would have been super. But it can’t be helped – he has come out of the race fine and if he didn’t run at Warwick, where would we have gone?

“It was a hard enough race for him, so he will need a bit of time now to recover and freshen up, and we do have our eye on three-mile-plus staying chases in the spring.”

He continued: “All being well, we will probably be going straight to the Ultima.

“Max (McNeill) has sponsored the race now for a good few years and we’ve had good representation previously with runners that ultimately haven’t troubled the first four. But hopefully this lad can come on for his run and feature.

“It was a nice bit of experience running in a big field (at Warwick). The way novice races go in the UK, you are only really taking on three and four runners through no fault of your own. So he now has a bit more experience under his belt in that regard and there are still very few miles on the clock.

“I think in all probability it will be straight to Cheltenham, then after that one of the Nationals or the Bet365 Gold Cup (Sandown, April 29).”

Although a decision on which of the English, Scottish or Irish Grand Nationals to run in is far from finalised, connections are aware a bold showing at Cheltenham could present them with a golden opportunity to head to Aintree on April 15 with a well-handicapped contender.

“I think my immediate reaction would be Scotland would be more likely than Aintree,” added Turner.

“But given the weights are set for Aintree before the Ultima, if he comes out and wins or finishes second or whatever in the Ultima, he becomes well-in for the Grand National while the Scottish National would be revised weights.

“We would consider Ireland as well because he does have a 100 per cent record going right-handed – although not that it matters at all because he doesn’t jump violently one way or the other.

“I think Warwick is a pretty good jumping test and his jumping hasn’t posed any problems round there twice now – they’ve almost been two of his better performances I would say.”

Pic D’Orhy powers to Silviniaco Conti win for Nicholls and Cobden

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Pic D’Orhy stamped his class on the Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton to give Paul Nicholls a third win in the Grade Two in four years and set up a potential clash with Shishkin next time out.

Fresh from success in the Peterborough Chase, Pic D’Orhy (6-4 favourite) looked the one to beat and so it proved, as bar one mistake before the turn into the home straight he never looked in any danger.

Harry Cobden, enjoying a dream run for his boss in recent weeks with big wins on Bravemansgame, Hermes Allen and Tahmuras, oozed confidence throughout.

Coral cut the winner into 14-1 from 25s for the Ryanair Chase and on this form he would seem well worth his place in the field.

Paint The Dream attempted to keep tabs on him, but by the second-last had cried enough and was eventually beaten for second by Clondaw Castle.

Angels Breath, having his first run for Sam Thomas and first outing for three years, understandably ran keen before eventually being pulled up.

“I walked the course this morning and was just a bit worried about the ground, but he liked it,” said Cobden.

“He missed the fourth-last but aside from that was very assured.

“He’s improved and is a smart horse, but I think he’s a few pounds off being a Grade One (horse).

“I don’t think the Ryanair Chase will be his thing and there are good races at Aintree and the other festivals.

“Before that I think Ascot over two-miles-five (Ascot Chase next month) would suit him. He should be able to make the best use of his jumping around there.”

Pic D'Orhy has looked a better horse this season
Pic D’Orhy has looked a better horse this season (Tim Goode/PA)

Winning owner Johnny de la Hey said: “He has definitely grown up and he is a bigger, stronger horse. We were pretty worried as I had a few texts with Paul this morning about the ground and there was 10 millimetres last night and we thought that was going to be too soft.

“He has put it all together now and that opens up loads of options for us. We love that race (the Betfair Ascot Chase, which the owner won with Cyrname in 2019) and that would be the obvious choice to go to and then Aintree after that.

“It is probably the right way of saying it that he could nick one (a Grade One). He is rated 158 and he will probably go up a few pounds so he is not a million miles away from being a proper Grade One horse.

“Paul has got some good horses to benchmark him against and I’d say he is just below a Bravemansgame but we are still pretty happy. That is his fourth Grade Two and if we can keep picking those up, why not.”

Paul Nicholls brings up another century with help of Taunton four-timer

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Paul Nicholls broke through the century mark for the season as the champion trainer and Harry Cobden teamed up for a Monday four-timer at Taunton.

The Ditcheat handler began the afternoon on 97 winners for the campaign and sent a strong team of five runners across Somerset.

He was double-handed in the Broadway & Horton Cricket Club Novices’ Hurdle, with punters unable to split stablemates Iliko D’Olivate and Pleasant Man, who were the 6-4 joint-favourites.

Pleasant Man ran with credit in defeat to finish third, but Iliko D’Olivate was an authoritative six-length winner under Cobden, with Syd Hosie’s Way Out best of the rest in second.

Nicholls and Cobden swiftly doubled up with Cap Du Mathan (6-4) in the Summerfield Developments Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase before 2-5 shot Rare Middleton brought up the trainer’s century with victory in the first division of the Invest Southwest Maiden Hurdle.

The latter won on the Flat at Leopardstown in October before changing hands for 215,000 guineas and looks an exciting addition to the hurdling ranks.

“He’s a very smart horse and there’s loads more to come from him,” Nicholls told Racing TV.

“He only started schooling six weeks ago and I don’t like running them that soon, but he’d been outside on the grass luckily enough twice and he’s going to learn so much from jumping.

“I was concerned first time on this ground about whether he’d get the trip and everything else, but he’s a nice horse and I’m sure we’ll hear a lot more from him.”

Nicholls did not have to wait long for winner 101, with Afadil comfortably justifying odds of 8-15 in division two.

The son of Camelot gave his supporters a fright by almost refusing at the first flight, but ultimately won comfortably by two lengths, seeing Paddy Power cut his Triumph Hurdle odds to 16-1 from 33-1.

“I’m very happy with everything – the way the horses are looking, the way they’re running and the way Harry is riding. Everybody is working hard at home, it’s fantastic,” Nicholls added.

Cobden said: “I think they were all very well placed and it’s nice when you’ve got some good, young stock coming through.

“All three of the novices are nice horses. The first one (Iliko D’Olivate) is going to want plenty of time, Rare Middleton is green but knows his job and jumps well and felt like a nice horse and so did the last one. He handled the ground well and apart from a little scare at the first, he jumped well and was very straightforward after that.

“When you’re riding for someone like Paul Nicholls, the job is a lot easier because if something goes wrong you’ve got the next one to put it right.

“I’m sure it would be a lot harder riding for someone else who doesn’t have the same strike-rate.”

Tahmuras takes top honours in Tolworth for Nicholls and Cobden

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Tahmuras gave Paul Nicholls a fifth Unibet Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle in sauntering to an easy success at Sandown.

A stylish winner of a Listed contest at Haydock on his previous run, Harry Cobden’s mount travelled supremely well throughout in the two-mile contest, and was content to allow Colonel Harry to make the running under Gavin Sheehan.

Though clearly green, he loomed large approaching the last two flights as the disappointing favourite Authorised Speed laboured in the soft ground.

Despite walking through the last two hurdles, Cobden quickly got the six-year-old back on an even keel and the 5-2 second-favourite scored in style by two and a half lengths, giving the champion trainer a first win in the race since Breedsbreeze some 15 years ago.

The Evan Williams-trained L’Astroboy stayed on for second, having the tables turned on him by the winner who had been beaten a neck by that rival in a Ffos Las bumper in February last year, while Nemean Lion stuck on for third, a further length behind.

It was also a stellar afternoon for the owners Noel Fehily Racing Syndicates, who had earlier taken the Listed mares’ hurdle with the Harry Fry-trained Love Envoi.

Fehily said: “I was a little bit worried as the ground looked really chewed up and you are never sure how a young horse will handle it, but I loved the way he turned into the straight and Harry was riding him with loads of confidence and he was the last horse to come off the bridle.

“He will be in the Supreme and the Ballymore at the Festival and we will speak to Paul about where he goes, but he looks pretty good and reminds me of Summerville Boy on whom I won the Supreme.

Tahmuras and Harry Cobden proved too good
Tahmuras and Harry Cobden proved too good (Steven Paston/PA)

“He’s a good staying horse with a bit of quality and I would say Hansard isn’t far behind him. Gary (Moore) loves him and he will be stepped up for his next run.

“This is absolutely massive. We put our hands in our pockets to buy these horses myself and David Crosse and we try to find members for them and when they get a great day out like this it is brilliant for everyone and that is very important.”

Nicholls said: “It was good. It took 15 years, but you have got to have the right sort of horses, haven’t you?

“To be fair, we thought he’d go very close. Scott Marshall, who rides him every day, said it would take a good one to beat him and I’ve got a lot of faith in Scott.”

Betfair cut Tahmuras to 10-1 for both the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.

Nicholls added: “He has just done nothing but improve and he is like Noland and Al Ferof, who both won the Supreme for us – they are both strong and good stayers with good enough boot for two (miles).

“So I guess we will go to the Supreme with him – we’ll so straight there – but he is the mirror of Noland and Al Ferof.

Harry Cobden returns victorious with Tahmuras
Harry Cobden returns victorious with Tahmuras (PA)

“He is an improving young horse and we will sharpen his jumping on better ground. We are delighted with him.

“It is hard jumping out of that deep ground up that Sandown hill. They all jumped fairly ordinary, but he’s fairly adequate and when we get that better ground in the spring, we will sharpen his jumping up.”

Cobden – bagging this third Grade One in a matter of weeks, after the King George and Challow Hurdle – said: “The only time he ever got beat was in a bumper at Ffos Las, but he’s right up there and cantered all over them today.

“He did struggle for a few strides down the back, but it was very soft back there.

“Paul’s really put his foot on the gas with the horses and this is clearly one of the best (novice) hurdlers in the country.

“I don’t know if he is quite as good as (Challow winner) Hermes Allen yet, but he isn’t far off. I think Hermes Allen would be the best at the moment if you were to put me on the spot to ride one tomorrow. This lad is pretty good.

“You would run him over two and Hermes Allen over two and a half. I’m not sure he would be quite good enough to beat Hermes Allen. They are the sort of horses that surprise you the more you ask the more they give.”

Stage Star back to winning ways with ease at Plumpton

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Stage Star was the highlight of a treble for Harry Cobden at Plumpton on Monday, as Paul Nicholls’ charge got his novice chasing career back on track with a bloodless victory.

A Grade One winner over hurdles, the seven-year-old made a bright start to life over the larger obstacles at Warwick, but was then bitterly disappointing when sent off odds-on for a Grade Two at Newbury in November.

Dropped into calmer waters for the Phone Betting At Goodwin Racing 08000 421 321 Novices’ Chase, the Ditcheat inmate had just the Fergal O’Brien-trained Mortlach to beat and did so with ease, producing a fine round of jumping in the hands of Harry Cobden to oblige favourite-backers at 1-9.

“I was very pleased with that,” Nicholls told Sky Sports Racing. “I don’t think he was right for whatever reason at Newbury the last day, he hung and the ground was fast enough for him.

“Today he looked better beforehand, and he went round there with a spring in his step, jumped well and looks to be back on form.

“He has to go left-handed and there’s quite a valuable novice chase at Warwick in two weeks’ time and there is a very valuable race at Lingfield in three weeks’ time, so it would be one of those I expect next.

“He will definitely have entries at Cheltenham in both the two and a half (Turners) and over three (Brown Advisory). If we get him right we’ll definitely go for one of them.”

Cobden added to his tally when he steered Milton Harris’ Twinjets (1-3 favourite) to a nine-length victory in the Free Bet Nose Losers At Betgoodwin EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle.

It was the six-year-old’s fourth victory in five starts under rules and the Sutton Veny handler is eyeing a trip to Sandown on March 11.

“To be fair to him he’s only been beat once and he came back wrong that day,” said Harris of the winner.

“Turning in I thought ‘this could be a race’ but he’s ended up winning nine lengths so he’s a fair horse.

“He’s just a bit immature – he jumps a bit left then will go a bit right – but he will definitely be all right. How far we go with him? I don’t know. Of course life gets a bit difficult now with a double penalty.

“But he could go for something like the EBF Final at Sandown where he might get his ground and he’ll get the trip.

“He needs another run and he needs another run without being too silly. You’d like to get in there off 120-something wouldn’t you, but he’s better than that you would think.”

Harris and Cobden combined again to round off the day in style when El Muchacho (7-2) landed the concluding Zoe Davison Memorial Handicap Hurdle.

Joe Tizzard’s Atakan (11-4) ground down the tough 5-2 favourite Blame The Game in the shadow of the post to edge the feature BetGoodwin Sussex National Handicap Chase in the hands of Brendan Powell.

“We’ve always quite liked him and his fist ever time on the track at Carlisle he finished sixth,” said Powell.

“I don’t think he’d seen much grass before and he gave me a feel he would make a nice staying chaser and I quietly fancied him today, I thought we’d be placed definitely.

“For a horse that is only having his third run over fences his jumping is good. He made all when he won round here in a novice chase, but I didn’t want to commit him too soon and it worked out quite well as I had some company and something to aim at turning in. I thought I would keep waiting on him and thankfully it worked.

“They are fit and you know they will keep going but he’s a horse I just wanted to have one go at today, especially in a race like this, and I didn’t really want to chuck the race away by taking it up too soon.”

There was also an impressive win on the card for Gary Moore’s Hansard (5-2), who gave 7lb and a two-length beating to 4-7 favourite Master Chewy in the Download The BetGoodwin App Novices’ Hurdle.

Hansard, here ridden by jockey Jamie Moore when winning the Fitzdares Looking Forward to Hwpas Tomorrow Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon, added to his tally at Plumpton
Hansard, here ridden by jockey Jamie Moore when winning the Fitzdares Looking Forward to Hwpas Tomorrow Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon, added to his tally at Plumpton (Tim Goode/PA)

“The second horse is rated 126 and we’ve given it 7lb,” said winning rider Jamie Moore.

“My lad has actually pulled up over the last two, I know I haven’t won by a mile but he wasn’t doing an awful lot in front. He travels round good, he’s by The Gurkha so he has got a pit of poke. I think he’ll be a nice horse.

“He won on good ground at Huntingdon and Huntingdon has been quick all year. We were worried at Huntingdon that it would be too quick and we were worried today it would be too slow.

“He’s very tough and hardy. He ran in four bumpers in four months in Ireland for Charles O’Brien and won his final one of them, so he could be progressing. He’s a nice horse.”