Supreme-bound Elixir De Nutz knuckles down to gamely win Tolworth Hurdle

Elixir De Nutz bravely stuck to his task, fending off a persistent challenge from Grand Sancy to win the Grade 1 Tolworth Novices' Hurdle at Sandown and confirm his status as a genuine contender for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

The Unibet-sponsored Grade 1, won 12 months ago by last season’s Supreme victor Summerville Boy – with Kalashnikov trailing on both occasions, was run in what winning trainer Colin Tizzard described as “sticky ground”. But that did not matter to the five-year-old front-runner, who kept on stoutly under Tom O’Brien to win by half a length from the Paul Nicholls-trained pursuer Grand Sancy with the fading Southfield Stone – also trained by Nicholls – in third. Nicky Henderson’s 6-5 favourite Rathhill was never able to challenge and was beaten the best part of 12 lengths.

It completed a hat-trick of wins for 3-1 shot Elixir De Nutz after two wins at Cheltenham and Tizzard, who won the Tolworth in 2017 with Finian's Oscar, said: “He’s toughed it out again today, going from the front like that you’ve got to be tough.

“When you watch it, he jumps his hurdles so well and gets away from his hurdles so fast. If we held him up I don’t know if he could do that, that’s the beauty of it. The way he crosses a hurdle, he takes a length nearly every time.

Elixir De Nutz measures a hurdle well under Tom O'BrienCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

“He had every chance to fold into second today and no one would have blamed him, but he’s a tough old boy. He’s had a hard race today.”

Owner Terry Warner’s colours were most famously sported by 2003 Champion Hurdle hero Rooster Booster, who was trained by Philip Hobbs. However, switching Elixir De Nutz from Hobbs to the Tizzard stable has proved the catalyst for success with the gelding, who is now a best-priced 14-1 shot for the Sky Bet-sponsored opening race of the Cheltenham Festival. The Henderson-trained Angels Breath heads the betting for the Supreme at 7-1.

Tizzard added: “He’s surprised us because he’s not that brilliant at home, but he’s had four runs and won three. He’s just a very nice horse.

“I wouldn’t think there is any chance of him running between now and Cheltenham. He’s had a tough old race today, he’s had four runs already this season so it would be nice to save him for the three festivals later on.

“We don’t really know what his best conditions are, he hasn’t run on heavy yet. I walked the course today and it wasn’t really going in, it was sticky ground. I think Cheltenham spring ground will be absolutely perfect for him."

Some firms cut the winner for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle too, but the Dorset trainer is not inclined to go that way. He said: “He’s not slow, I think we’ll stay at two miles. All of his races this season have been over two, we may put him in the two-and-a-half but I don’t see why we would need to change at the moment. You’ve got to have a lot of stamina for the two-mile race at Cheltenham.”

Nicholls wasn't at Sandown to watch his two runners, Grand Sancy and Southfield Stone, but both performed admirably if only to fail to reel in the game winner.

Harry Derham, assistant trainer to Nicholls, said: "Both of them have run with great credit and were beaten by a decent horse, they were both good runs.

"Grand Sancy has run a particularly good race. Lorcan [Williams] got off at Ascot and said he was probably unlucky not to finish second, and he's done well again – he's a tough horse.

"We'll see how he comes out of it. I suspect he might go the handicap route in the spring but I don't know for sure. He's getting stronger all the time and better with it. He's improved massively.

"Our horses are in very good form and long may it continue.”

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