Trainer Paul Nicholls and his rising star Denman were the brightest stars, amongst many, at Newbury on Saturday.

Nicholls trained the winners of the first four races on a competitive card at the Berkshire track.

The opener was a tricky 19 runner novice hurdle, in which the Nicky Henderson trained Zebra Crossing was sent off the 15/8 favourite, however the best backed runner in the field was Nicholl’s Pasco backed from 11/2 into 4/1 second favourite.

Pasco tracked the early leader Boogie Dancer for the first couple of fences before taking a contested lead at the third and effectively sealing victory at the fifth, never looking in any danger of being beaten under a confident Ruby Walsh ride. The 6 length runner up was the Gary Moor trained 40/1 shot Lupanar, who had been given a patient ride running on towards the latter stages of the race. Third place prize money went to another fast finisher, Scriptwriter, a 15/2 shot.       

The favourite finished a disappointing sixth.

In the second race it was, once again, Ruby Walsh riding for Nicholls as Oranis made all in the 3 mile novice chase. Sent off the 7/2 third favourite Oranis was never in any danger, with the only blemish being a minor mistake four out. He eventually ended up an 18 length winner with the outsider of the field Old Benny running on for a 17/2 place. The favourite, Here’s Johnny, was held up making mistakes at both the 4th and 5th, by the 12 he was receiving backhanders from his jockey James White. He was already weakening when he made a blunder too far three out and was pulled up.

The Champion Chase trial, the Game Spirit Chase, is a prep race for the Champion Chase and the defending champion, the Alak King trained Voy Por Ustedes was sent off the even money favourite with Paul Nicholl’s Master Minded, who drifted from 11/8 to 7/4 the only other horses seriously in the betting. In the end there was no contest with another pillar to post victory for guess who – Ruby Walsh. The defending champion, who was conceding 6lbs to the winner, never got in a blow going down by five lengths with the pair 21 lengths ahead of the remainder of the field. Master Minded is now favourite for the Champion Chase with some layers disputing favouritism with stable mate Twist Magic, both around the 5/2 mark.

In the big race, the Aon Chase, all eyes were on the young pretender, Denman, whose presence decimated the entries and only four went to post. Opening at 1/6 the favourite “drifted” to a starting price of 1/4. Ollie Magern made sure Denman could not dictate and took an early lead, however by the third Denman was in front where he remained until the end of the first circuit. Ollie Magern was determined to make sure Denman wasn’t going to be handed the race on a plate and the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained runner took the lead going into the second circuit.

It is pleasing to report that Denman didn’t sulk and he never went more than two lengths behind, whilst the other two contenders Regal Heights and Celestial Gold were seemingly running in a different race, with the latter once again very disappointing.

Despite a slight mistake at the 14th Denman regained the lead once again and never looked back, putting plenty of daylight between himself and the plucky Ollie Magern for a facile 20 length victory.  

By now the question was being asked, would Paul Nicholls “do a Frankie” and go through the card.

The next race, however, was one of the most competitive and richest hurdle races of the season, the Totesport Trophy, with 24 runners going to post. On the strength of Nicholls form, his Five Dream was backed down to 7/2f, although on paper a worthy favourite it must be said the price was far too short for such a competitive heat and so it proved to be with the Nicholls charge finishing a never nearer seventh.

In a race which changed leaders and complexion several times the David Pipe trained Whispered Promises was the pace setter. The Gary Moore trained Wingman, under son Jamie, had tracked the leaders and took up the running two out and stayed on gamely to take the spoils for the trainers second successive victory in the race at 14/1.

Nicky Henderson’s Punjabi, backed from 33’s to 28’s ran on to take second, two lengths behind the winner, with 16/1 shot County Zen and the 16/1 chance Mohayer both running on to take the minor honours. With some bookmakers paying on the fifth, Pigeon Island took that spot at 33/1.

In the long distance hurdle Paul Nicholl’s again saddled the favourite in the shape of Ofarel D’airy who was sent off at 7/2 although he drifted from an opening 11/4. His challenger in the betting was the Pipe trained Estate, backed from 9/2 into 4/1.

Arguably the complexion of the race changed at the eighth when Drumbeater fell, bringing down the second favourite, although it could be argued Estate looked to be under pressure at the time. The favourite looked set to provide the fifth winner of the day for Nicholls, however the Oliver Sherwood trained Arrayou, under a strong ride from Dominic Elsworth, had other ideas and ran on after the final flight for a 1¾ length victory, with 14/1 shot Pocket Too in third.

Another Nicholls favourite favourite, The Nightingale was beaten in the final bumper, going down by 8 lengths the Nicky Henderson trained Mad Max.     

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