Nicholls wins toss and Orbasa provides Morshead with landmark victory

A toss of a coin on Thursday morning at Ditcheat may have helped Orbasa regain the winning thread in Britain after the six-year-old came through to beat Notarfbad in the 2m4f handicap chase.

The gelding also provided conditional rider Henry Morshead, 20, with a first winner for the former champion trainer from as many rides after he picked up in pleasing style from the second last to register a five-length success.

Explaining the coin toss, Nicholls said: “The horse had become a bit frustrating and my head lad Clifford Baker and I had a little debate about whether we'd declare him in the usual tongue tie, with me favouring leaving it off.