Masterful Nicholls gets Bullets back in firing line

Paul Nicholls may no longer possess the firepower he once dominated the Cheltenham Festival, and entire British national hunt season.

The Ditcheat handler produced a training performance to match all previous achievements when winning yesterday’s Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase with Dodging Bullets.

The seven-year-old, who has earned some unflattering monikers for consistently failing to deliver on his promise when tried at the highest level, capped a remarkably successful season with the type of battling performance most believed the gelding did not possess.