‘Job done’ for Star De Mohasion
Nicholls arrived at the Esher venue holding a strong hand but after two odds-on favourites failed to oblige, the pressure was on last year’s Royal & SunAlliance Chase winner to come up with the goods.
Fresh from a spin over hurdles, the 1-2 favourite had just three rivals to see off and after a series of neat jumps, took command at the Pond Fence.
Ruby Walsh then had to survive a mistake at the final obstacle and although pace-setting The Listener tried to make a race of it, Star De Mohasion pulled out more to score by a length and a quarter.
VC Bet, Stan James and Blue Square trimmed the five-year-old into 12-1 from 14s for the totesport Gold Cup, while the sponsors left him unchanged at 14-1 along with Ladbrokes.
Nicholls said: “He settled better than he did at Cheltenham. He jumped well too, so it is a case of ‘job done’.
“I was nervous coming here as it is right-handed and the ground was soft, but he has done everything right. If you look how he has turned the form around with The Listener from last year it was a great performance.
“We won’t consider the King George as he is better going left-handed, there is a possibility he could run in a handicap at Cheltenham on Friday.
“The Cotswold Chase (in January) is another to consider and we will look at those sort of races.”
The Listener’s trainer Robert Alner said: “The other horse had a (previous) run and I would certainly take him on again.
“The Lexus Chase at Leopardstown is a possibility and I guess that will be his number one priority as he will get his favoured soft ground.”
Nicholls and Walsh had been out of luck in the Grade Two Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle as Granit Jack was turned over as the 4-7 favourite.
The French import again had to settle for second best after disappointing on his Chepstow debut and Nicholls conceded that may be as good as he is.
Walsh tried in vain to reel in the front-running Labelthou turning for home but Emma Lavelle’s charge had too many guns and pulled further clear coming to the last, with Barry Fenton nursing her home for a 22-length victory.
Nicholls was again out of luck when 5-6 favourite Kaldouas crashed out in the williamhillcasino.com Novices’ Chase, leaving Idris to sail to success by a length and three-quarters.
The Gary Moore-trained 5-1 shot led the field heading to the Pond Fence under his son Jamie, but was all out to hold the determined challenge of Topinambour up the hill.
Moore senior said: “It was his turn to win.”
