Nicholls still firing in the winners

Paul Nicholls, with a second successive trainers’ championship already sewn up, got his Ayr raid off to a good start when Otto Des Pictons ran out a convincing winner of the Dawn Construction ’National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Scottish course today.

The five-year-old went to the front under Ruby Walsh at the fifth fence in the extended three-mile test and making the rest of the running, he came home with 17 lengths to spare over Ice Tea.

Nicholls said: “It is good safe ground out there, but you would not run soft ground horses on it.

“We were not going to run him again after Sandown last time, but he was well and we thought we might nick another hurdle race with him.

“That’s it now, he will be put away and will come back chasing in the autumn.

“He may not be a star, but he will win his share of races over fences if we are sensible with him.”