Walsh gets the best out of Cenkos
Overweight and expected to need the outing, Cenkos was one of three horses Nicholls had planned to run in the two-mile Beards Jewellers Cup.
But fears that the ground would be unsuitably fast led the trainer to pull out Le Roi Miguel from the race, enabling first-choice jockey Ruby Walsh to get on board the winner.
However, despite having his squad reduced to two, the Nicholls team still totally dominated the contest with Cenkos getting the better of a good scrap with stablemate Kadarann to win by a length and a quarter the pair 20 lengths clear of disappointing favourite Latalomne.
Wahiba Sands, brought down by the fall of Tysou at the second-last fence, was remounted by Tony McCoy to finish fourth.
The outsider of the five runners in the betting market, punters had clearly sensed the negative vibes about the chances of the winner.
But Cenkos thrived for the front-running tactics employed by Walsh and showed considerable resolution when challenged by his stablemate on the run-in.
"It is rather surprising because he is 10 kilos heavier than when he won the Tingle Creek last year and we were pretty sure that he would need it," said Nicholls.
"But he does go well fresh and when he gets his own way, he can be a tough horse to get past.
"It's good to have Ruby back and he gave him a great ride."
The strength in depth among Nicholls' two-mile chasing team is now set to force him to run them against each other in the William Hill Tingle Creek Trophy at Sandown in three weeks' time.
"There aren't really many options for us so we will have to run Cenkos, Le Roi Miguel and Azertyuiop in the Tingle Creek," said Nicholls .
"It will give Ruby a good headache as to what he will ride anyway."
Self Defense, Britain's best maiden hurdler last season, set the record straight with a gutsy success on his first appearance of the new campaign in the Blue Chip Feeds Novices' Hurdle. With Tony McCoy cutting out a savage gallop aboard debutant Contraband, the men were soon sorted from the boys in the howling gale and by the second-last flight Self Defense looked sure to score as he cantered into the lead under Barry Keniry.
Albuhera, who had made substantial progress from well off the pace in order to get into contention, delivered a spirited challenge which saw him hit the front at the final flight.
However, Self Defense, the 2-1 favourite, rallied gamely to lead in the very final strides for a short-head verdict the pair well clear of Contraband.
Paddy Power afterwards quoted Self Defense at 40-1 for Champion Hurdle glory.
Walsh, rider of Albuhera, received a three-day suspension (November 23-25) for using his whip in an incorrect place.
And a one-day suspension was handed out for the same offence to Paul Carberry, who finished second aboard Royal County Buck to Ceanannas Mor, who survived an uncharacteristic blunder at the final fence to take the Paddy Power Handicap Chase under Mick Fitzgerald.
