Nicholls sweet on Predateur
Predateur entered calculations for the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham when smoothly opening his account over jumps for Paul Nicholls in the Staple Fitzpaine Introductory Novices' Hurdle at Taunton.
In slamming Gracechurch by nine lengths under Ruby Walsh, the 4-5 favourite paid a compliment to his Wincanton conqueror Liberate, although connections will swerve the Festival unless there is plenty of cut in the ground.
Predateur, described as "a chaser in the making" by his trainer, is 25-1 for the Triumph with William Hill and VC Bet, and 20-1 with totesport and Stan James.
Nicholls enthused: "Because this was such a valuable race, he had to run today and he'll probably end up at the meeting at Cheltenham on January 27, where I hope we can pick up a nice juvenile prize.
"Obviously he was well treated by today's weights and against Liberate first time he was too free. The ground here is in as good a nick as you'll find anywhere in the country."
Predateur will avoid quick ground and Nicholls added: "He's really a chaser in the making and we'll look after him until he jumps a fence. The Triumph is normally won by Flat horses, but this fellow could be a bit special. I told Ruby to switch him off and come late, but I didn't think he would annihilate them like that."
David Pipe and Tony McCoy had reason to celebrate as they landed a double, initiated by 6-4 favourite Gaspara in the southwestracing.com Mares' Only Novices' Hurdle.
With the trainer on duty at Ludlow, Martin Pipe saddled Gaspara and watched the four-year-old take advantage of the fall of Eden Linty at the second-last to score by eight lengths in his own colours.
Pipe senior explained that his winner is on the market.
He said: "She's for sale and is a lovely filly, although I'm not certain what would have happened if the other one had stood up. McCoy always moans about riding in these colours because they rarely win, but she's an exception to the rule and must be something special!"
The Pipe brace was completed by Marcel, who took full advantage of the situation when odds-on Spidam proved less than resolute as the pair engaged in a set-to over the last three fences of the Corfe Novices' Handicap Chase.
Spidam was coming back at the winner at the finish, but McCoy's mount (7-2) held on by half a length.
Pipe observed: "The second looked far from keen to go through with it and Ruby (Walsh) lost his whip, so we've had two bits of luck."
Even More, at 12 the senior runner in the Orchard Restaurant Handicap Chase, proved far too sprightly for his rivals to come home eight lengths clear of Ironside for the Robert Alner-Andrew Thornton combination.
The former said of the 11-2 winner: "While he loved the going, he's won on fast ground round here and Andrew gets on with him so well. I'm delighted for his owner Godfrey Keirle, who lives locally at Aller."
Martin Keighley sent out his first winner with a licence when Prince Dundee caught Reelinga on the run-in of the New Year Conditional Jockeys' Selling Handicap Hurdle.
Keighley, who rode as an amateur for the late David Nicholson as well as Nigel Twiston-Davies, is operating from a new yard on the same site as the former's first base at Condicote.
Before retaining his charge without a bid at the auction he said: "We've got 10 horses and will soon be in some brand new stables. We're using the same gallops 'The Duke' had. This horse was dropped in grade and had been working encouragingly."
The Compare Prices At gg-odds.com Handicap Hurdle went to 10-1 chance Stars Delight, who gradually wore down Raki Rose to take the spoils for trainer Jim Best and jockey Robert Lucey-Butler.
Alan King introduced a likeable sort in Greenbridge, with the 1-2 favourite proving a length and a half too strong for Merlin's Magic under Robert Thornton in the Visit Taunton Racecourse Website Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.
