Grand Sancy enhances Supreme claims after battling Kingwell success

The old firm of Paul Nicholls and Harry Skelton were reunited in winning ways on Saturday after Grand Sancy held off the late rally of Sceau Royal to secure the Grade 2 Betway Kingwell Hurdle in battling style.

The winner was cut into a general into 14-1 (from 33) for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle, and Megan Nicholls, representing her father, confirmed that the five-year-old would now head straight to the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival next month.

She said: "That was a proper performance from both horse and jockey as they both showed that grit and determination all the way up the straight to win.

"Grand Sancy is a real streetwise and hardy type who takes his racing really well. The Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham will be his next stop as this would have put him spot on for that."

The only novice in the five-runner field for Wincanton's highlight of the year took up the running two flights from home and appeared to be at the mercy of his rivals, but Grand Sancy showed an excellent attitude to brush aside all challenges.

Cheltenham next

Nicholls added: "Harry has come back and said that he really wants a faster pace to be seen at his best, and there's no doubt he will get just that at Cheltenham as they certainly do not hang about in that race."

A jubilant Skelton punched the air with delight as he passed the post and said: "I have to say that win gave me so much satisfaction as it is my first for Paul for around six years. I think the last one was a horse called Oscargo at Chepstow.

"Paul gave myself and my brother Dan the perfect launchpad to our subsequent careers all those years ago and it's great to be involved in another success for the yard."

He added: "Sometimes you've got to want to win and that was the case with me and the horse out there today. We both gave our all and got the result we both wanted."

Skelton was, however, handed a two-day suspension for using his whip above the permitted level.

Daryl Jacob appeared delighted with the performance of runner-up Sceau Royal and said: "The good ground at the course swayed our decision to switch back to hurdling and he has run a cracker.

"It's the perfect warm up for the Champion Chase, which is where he will go next."

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