Shades of Denman says Nicholls as 'mighty' Bravemansgame storms to victory

Sunday: Kempton

Bravemansgame was given a massive pat down the neck by Harry Cobden as he won the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices' Chase from market rival Ahoy Senor – and he had earned it.

Ahoy Senor was gifted what ITV commentator Richard Hoiles called "six to eight lengths" at the start. After a circuit Bravemansgame had whittled that advantage down to just a length with his superior fencing. On the second circuit it was his jumping that made all the difference.

Between fences Ahoy Senor would put Bravemansgame under pressure. At each fence Bravemansgame would return the favour. As they straightened up and went on from the third-last it became clear the pressure at the fences was telling as Ahoy Senor ceded and Bravemansgame surged clear.

1.55 Kempton: full result and replay

The margin was seven and a half lengths at the line and Bravemansgame looked value for every bit of it. He is a horse Paul Nicholls has not been shy in talking up and in demolishing the next-best novice in Britain, he is very much beginning to live up to it.

"There's been speculation all week about who will go where after today, but the horse has done the talking there for us," said a fired-up Nicholls. "He's a proper horse and I'm thrilled with that.

Paul Nicholls on Bravemansgame: 'He's a mighty horse and his target now is next year's King George'Credit: Edward Whitaker

"It was soft enough for him today, he's a better horse on slightly better ground, but that was a mighty performance. He's awesome and he's only going to get better as he gets stronger. People laughed when I compared him to Denman but there's nothing between what they've done at this stage in their careers."

If that has you searching for Cheltenham Festival prices – he was cut into a top-priced 3-1 (from 5-1) for the Festival Novices' Chase and a general 6-1 (from 12) for the shorter Turners Novices' Chase – then be warned. Nicholls could skip this season's festival with next year's King George in mind. He added: "He's a mighty horse and his target now is next year's King George.

"I don't want to give him too many hard races where he's got an impossible task. I know some of the owners were very keen to go to Cheltenham, but for me if he missed Cheltenham and won at Aintree and then we won next year's King George that would be doing the job properly. He needs looking after."

Harry Cobden was the man aboard and he was similarly impressed, especially as he did not get his usual uncontested lead. He said: "He's an unbelievable horse. I almost had to rethink how I wanted to ride him, I knew I'd get a lead but when I've made the running on him, he's so alert and he takes you down to every fence.

"Today we got a lead and he was completely behind the bridle the whole way, which has happened before but I didn't expect him to be as relaxed as he was.

"He jumped fantastically, I saw a couple of strides on the way round but the horse definitely knew better. He's an unbelievable horse and I'm very lucky to ride him."

Trainer Lucinda Russell said of Ahoy Senor: "I'm delighted with him, he's still a star. He just needs to tighten his jumping up a little bit, but for a novice he's still doing extremely well. I'm so proud of him."

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