No Drama This End brings back glory days for Nicholls – and it’s Cheltenham next

Days for illustration these were erstwhile almost a play acquisition for Paul Nicholls, arsenic he strung together 1 title-winning play aft another, truthful nan 14-time champion will person taken peculiar pleasance from his double present connected Monday arsenic No Drama This End, successful nan Grade One Challow Hurdle, and Minella Yoga some emerged arsenic contenders for nan Cheltenham show successful March.

The Challow has often been an early proving crushed for early stars complete fences, and No Drama This End, Nicholls’s seventh victor of nan race, joined erstwhile champions from nan gait including Denman, nan 2008 Gold Cup winner, and Bravemansgame, the 2022 King George VI Chase winner, connected nan rotation of honour. Sent disconnected astatine 4-9, nan five-year-old made each nan moving nether Harry Cobden and needed small encouragement to support a one-and-a-quarter magnitude lead to nan line.

“Someone conscionable said to me, really does he comparison pinch your different Challow winners, for illustration Denman and Bravemansgame and each those,” Nicholls said, “and he compares pinch each of them. In 3 runs complete hurdles, he’s won 2 Grade Twos and a Grade One, and nary of them achieved that.

“To backmost it up aft 3 weeks [from his past triumph astatine Sandown] is not perfect [but] we wanted to springiness him a bully spot of clip earlier Cheltenham alternatively than spell to Trials time [in precocious January] and it’s worked retired beautiful, truthful we’ll spell consecutive to nan festival. I’d opportunity that will beryllium his past tally complete hurdles if that goes right, past we’ll spell chasing.”

No Drama This End was already nan favourite for nan Turners Novice Hurdle complete 2 miles and 5 furlongs astatine Cheltenham successful March earlier Monday’s race, and was trim to a apical value of 4-1 to spell 1 spot amended than Denman, nan runner-up successful 2006, and springiness Nicholls his first ever triumph successful nan race.

Classy novice hurdlers pinch nan imaginable to beryllium amended still complete fences are conscionable what Nicholls needs arsenic he tries to build backmost towards his erstwhile power and he will person taken peculiar pleasance from nan occurrence of Minella Yoga’s conclusion of Act of Innocence, nan 2-7 favourite, successful nan card’s Introductory Hurdle.

Old Cowboy (centre, No 5) connected his measurement to winning nan Coral Racing Club ‘Join For Free’ Handicap Chase astatine Newbury. Photograph: David Davies/PA

The consequence had added value for Nicholls arsenic Act Of Innocence was among respective horses switched distant from his unchangeable complete nan summertime by his owners, Gordon and Su Hall, while Minella Yoga’s owner, Michael Geoghegan, has been a important caller investor successful Nicholls’s Ditcheat operation.

“As you tin imagine, I loved that, perfectly delighted,” Nicholls said. “He’s a very bully youngster and I evidently felt I had half a chance by moving him against Act Of Innocence, and I couldn’t person had a amended result, to beryllium honest.

“He’s 1 of nan nicest youngsters we person and it’s awesome for Michael, who has heavy invested and bought a fewer bully horses pinch maine lately.”

Minella Yoga was trim to astir 16-1 for nan Triumph Hurdle astatine Cheltenham successful March, and could return successful nan track’s proceedings for nan juvenile hurdling title connected 24 January connected nan measurement to nan festival.

“He’ll decidedly person an introduction for nan Triumph and I wouldn’t beryllium acrophobic of moving him successful it,” Nicholls said.

“You could decidedly spot him galloping up that Cheltenham elevation OK. It won’t beryllium nan be-all and end-all though, and … ultimately, he’ll beryllium a really bully equine successful nan future.”