Knappers Hill climbs ladder

CHAMPION trainer Paul Nicholls will give Knappers Hill a chance to prove he is worth sending down the Champion Hurdle route after he took another step up the ladder with victory in Saturday’s Elite Hurdle. Harry Cobden’s mount beat three-time Elite Hurdle winner Sceau Royal at Wincanton. Nicholls said: ‘Knappers Hill took a step forward. He is in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle but I am quite keen on the International Hurdle at Cheltenham in the middle of December.

‘I have to go the next step and see where we are. We would then get an idea if Cheltenham suits him. He has enough speed to win over two miles and stays two-and-a-half miles which is the type of horse you want.’ Knappers Hill carried the colours of owner Paul Vogt, who was also successful at Wincanton with Frodon, ridden by Bryony Frost, in the Badger Beer Chase to set up a shot at repeating his 2020 King George VI Chase win at Kempton on Boxing Day. Vogt enjoyed his third win of the weekend when Halo Des Obeaux won the opening race at Sandown yesterday. That was a 50th win of the season for Nicholls, who was later successful with Solo to make it 21 in the last fortnight, which has carried him to the top of the trainers’ title race. Nicholls added: ‘It has been an amazing fortnight and winners have rolled in. The horses look stronger than they did last season when I was never happy that they were right, even though we had winners.’ Halo Des Obeaux’s win was a first for Nicholls ridden by conditional jockey Freddie Gingell. The grandson of former trainer Colin Tizzard has joined his stables this season.

Nicholls hitting form is timely with a three-day Cheltenham fixture starting on Friday. He plans to run Il Ridoto and Simply The Betts, who will be ridden by his new owner David Maxwell, in Saturday’s feature Paddy Power Gold Cup.