Champion trainer Paul Nicholls enjoyed a return to the glory days with a high-profile double at Newbury on Monday, headed by the impressive victory of No Drama This End in the Grade One Challow Novice Hurdle. The success sets up a major Cheltenham Festival bid for the exciting five-year-old.
A Star Performance in the Challow
Sent off as the hot 4-9 favourite, No Drama This End, ridden by Harry Cobden, made all the running in the prestigious contest. He maintained a strong gallop throughout and kept on resolutely to secure a one-and-a-quarter length victory. The win marked a seventh success in the race for the Ditcheat stable, adding his name to an illustrious roll of honour that includes former champions like Denman and Bravemansgame.
"He compares with all of them," Nicholls said when asked to measure his latest winner against past stars. "In three runs over hurdles, he's won two Grade Twos and a Grade One, and none of them achieved that." The trainer confirmed the horse would now go straight to the Cheltenham Festival in March, bypassing a potential Trials Day run in late January.
Cheltenham Festival Ambitions Take Shape
No Drama This End was already the ante-post favourite for the Turners Novice Hurdle at the Festival prior to this victory. His commanding performance saw his price trimmed to a top price of 4-1 to give Nicholls a first win in that particular race. Denman, one of the yard's former Challow winners, finished second in the 2006 renewal.
Nicholls suggested this would likely be the gelding's final start over hurdles before embarking on a chasing career next season. "I'd say that will be his last run over hurdles if that goes right, then we'll go chasing," he stated, highlighting the long-term potential he sees in the horse.
Double Delight with Minella Yoga
The day's success was compounded by the victory of Minella Yoga in the card's Introductory Hurdle. The juvenile hurdler defeated the 2-7 favourite Act of Innocence, a horse formerly trained by Nicholls but switched to another yard by owners Gordon and Su Hall over the summer.
"As you can imagine, I loved that, absolutely delighted," a pleased Nicholls admitted. The win held extra significance as Minella Yoga is owned by Michael Geoghegan, a recent significant investor in Nicholls's operation. The trainer described the winner as "one of the nicest youngsters we have."
Minella Yoga was introduced into the betting for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham at around 16-1 and may have a preparatory run in the Festival Trial later in January. "You could definitely see him galloping up that Cheltenham hill OK," Nicholls added, while cautioning that the Triumph would not be the "be-all and end-all" for the horse's future.
For the 14-time champion trainer, these results represent a timely boost as he builds a new generation of talent capable of challenging at the highest level, with the Cheltenham Festival in March now firmly on the horizon for both of his Newbury winners.
