Ascot victory for Nicholls
Paul Nicholls is tempted to preserve Sonofvic for a chasing campaign next season after he maintained his unbeaten record under Rules in the Espirito Santo Investment Bank Novices' Hurdle at Ascot today.
Nicholls' 3-1 shot got off the mark at Chepstow in November but had to show battling qualities to get the better of 13-8 favourite Tornado Bob by two lengths.
The shape of the race changed at the final flight when, with the pair a long way clear, Tornado Bob lost his momentum when stumbling.
"We like him a lot," said Nicholls. "We have given him a lot of time and I suspect we'll probably call it a day now and get him chasing in October-time. He's not in at Cheltenham anyway."
