Nicholls slashes Pipe lead

Paul Nicholls made strong headway in his epic battle with Martin Pipe for the trainers’ championship when the title race went north of the border to Perth yesterday.

The title pretender came out on top in the afternoon exchanges when he netted £22,828 (€33,400) in prize money to Pipe’s £3,942 (€5,800), though the 14-times champion added another £3,673 (€5,400) at Worcester in the evening.

Nicholls started the day £35,473 (€52,000) in arrears, but by close of play he had cut the gap to £20,260 (€29,700).

The Ditcheat handler’s My Will got the better of Pipe’s Joaaci by a head in a thrilling finish to the SBJ Nelson Steavenson Novices’ Chase.

Nicholls struck again when Almost Broke took the williamhillpoker.com Handicap Chase. Both his winners were superbly ridden by Ruby Walsh.

At Worcester, Pipe’s Miss Academy was third in the Betfred Novices’ Hurdle, but he ended with a winner when 16-1 outsider Cantgeton landed the Betfred Maiden Hurdle.

That took Pipe to £2,684,636 (€3.93m), with Nicholls having picked up £2,664,376 (€3.9m).