Walsh and Williams rule at Taunton

Ruby Walsh left Taunton with a double yesterday, courtesy of two young hopefuls from the Paul Nicholls academy, after trainer Venetia Williams and jockey Aidan Coleman had heaped pain on the bookmakers by providing three of the seven winning favourites.

Sound Investment (5-6 favourite) was first to make his mark for Walsh, going a little way towards living up to his name in the Happy New Year Maiden Hurdle.

Graham Wylie’s £100,000 purchase had been given something of a hurdling baptism of fire when introduced to obstacles against the high-class Puffin Billy at Newbury, but faced nothing of that calibre here.