'He's a bit of a lad' - Rockadenn causes upset as Nicholls plots spring targets

Bryony Frost repeated the heroics of Sunday's Denman Chase to deny Harry Cobden by a slim margin once again, taking Taunton's feature 2m½f handicap hurdle on Rockadenn.

Frost and Secret Investor denied Cobden's mount Clan Des Obeaux in a thrilling Grade 2 heat at Newbury and the two top jockeys served up a similarly exciting finish up the Taunton straight.

Pic D'Orhy travelled the best of the two but Frost and Rockadenn put in a gutsy performance to battle on and eventually take the lead in the final half-furlong.

As he was at Newbury, trainer Paul Nicholls was responsible for the first two home in the £15,000 handicap and was pleasantly surprised by the performance from the winner.

The trainer said: "We didn't know what to expect [from Rockadenn] as he jumped free and ran off the other day. He had a wind-op just before Christmas as he couldn't breathe at all. He's a bit of a lad but he's clearly got ability to do that.

Rockadenn (left): reeled in the strong-travelling Pic D'Orhy (right)Credit: Edward Whitaker

"I'm really surprised by it. He's not entered at Cheltenham but there's a nice [2m4f] handicap we might go to on Midlands National day [March 20] and something like that could be realistic. He could mix and match chasing too."

The Nicholls team were happy with a massively improved effort from Pic D'Orhy, who had disappointed on three chasing starts.

A wind-op has clearly helped last season's Betfair Hurdle winner bounce back to form and the six-year-old is considered an ideal type for the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr on April 17.

"Pic D'Orhy had a wind-op and has been chasing, he just needed the experience," Nicholls added. "He ran tidy so I'm thrilled with him.

"I don't know where he'll go, I did enter him in the County and the Coral Cup but I think the Scottish Champion Hurdle could suit him really well. It was encouraging to see him run and jump well and we'll go chasing again in the autumn."

'She's one to look forward to – I like her a lot'

Olly Murphy has high expectations that Allavina can make an impact at a better grade after the six-year-old defied a penalty to win the 2m3f mares' novice hurdle.

She was taking a giant step forward from last month's Fontwell win to sluice home by six and a half lengths.

The Mares' Novice Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival is one potential, but unlikely, future target.

Allavina: impressive winner at Taunton on TuesdayCredit: Edward Whitaker

"She's a nice mare, she's got some very strong form," said Murphy. "She'll handle spring ground well and is a mare to look forward to and hopefully she'll get some black type. I like her a lot.

"She's in the Mares' [novice hurdle] at Cheltenham but we might look at other races rather than that this season."

Also on the card, Laura Young trained her first jumps winner since November 2019 as 33-1 chance Auenwirbel captured the 2m3f selling hurdle, and Chris Down ended an 81-day drought as Puzzle Cache won the 3m mares' handicap hurdle.

Tom Bellamy was given a four-day whip ban after victory in the 2m7f handicap chase on Putdecashonthedash.

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