Ascot double helps Paul Nicholls reduce gap on Nicky Henderson in 'pivotal' week

Paul Nicholls warmed up for what promises to be a pivotal week in the trainers' championship with a double at Ascot completed by the victory of San Benedeto in the feature Ascot United FC Novices' Handicap Chase.The 10-times champion made significant inroads into the advantage held by table-topping Nicky Henderson after the six-year-old pocketed the £29,403 first prize by seven lengths, to reduce the gap between the pair to less than £100,000.With both trainers set to be well represented at the Randox Health Grand National Festival which starts at Aintree on Thursday, BetVictor make Henderson 1-2 favourite to capture the title and Nicholls 6-4.Nicholls said: "It is not just a big week, but a big month. It is not just about Aintree there is the two days at Cheltenham, Ayr, Perth and Sandown."Next week is pivotal for me, as I've not got too many Grade One horses. This time next week I don't want to be more than £200,000 behind."On the winner, he added: "He is an amazing horse. He has got his confidence on a high and he loves that ground."He will definitely run again this season. He might end up in the Celebration Chase at Sandown."We might enter him in the Grade One novice chase at Aintree on Saturday. Sam (Twiston-Davies) said make sure he has an entry on Saturday as he has not done anything there."While Present Man may not be the most straightfoward of characters, jockey Jack Sherwood knows exactly how to get the best out of him after registering win number four on the seven-year-old to initiate Nicholls' double in the Geotech Soil Stabilisation Novices' Chase.Nicholls said of the 15-8 chance: "He loves that ground. He has been off waiting for this ground. Jack gets on well with him and just suits him."When he won at Doncaster he jumped right handed. He just idles a bit, but he has got a huge amount of ability."Ian Williams has enjoyed plenty of success with dual-code types in the past and So Celebre (9-1) could be another to continue that trend after he bagged back-to-back wins with victory in the Mitie Events & Leisure Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.The Alvechurch handler said: "He is a nice horse. He underperformed on the Flat last year and struggled on the soft ground in the winter."He had a good result at Huntingdon on his first real try over hurdles on better ground and he has stepped up really nicely today and won a nice prize."It was on the radar after Huntingdon and outside of Cheltenham it was one of only a couple of valuable four-year-old races. The owners have a box at Ascot so it will be great for them."There is a possibility he might run again over hurdles this season, but the more likely route is that he will go back Flat racing now."David Pipe will be hoping success of Dell' Arca in the Iron Stand Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle is a sign of things to come.The 11-1 winner carries the same silks as Grand National favourite Vieux Lion Rouge, and Pipe said: "He has been in some big races. He appreciated the better ground and David (Noonan) gave him a great ride. His profile is a bit in and out and it was a tough race he was in at Cheltenham last time."Charlie Longsdon has made a name for himself in recent months with older horses and Loose Chips (11-1) enhanced that when holding off stablemate Bob Tucker by a head in the grandnational2017.com Veterans' Handicap Chase.Longsdon said: "Loose Chips is as hard as nails and always has been. In these veteran races alone he has won over £50,000. He is a proper advocate for the series."The other horse has run a cracker. Better ground has made the difference."Tales Of The Tweed (3-1) ensured that Seven Barrows master Henderson was on the mark when taking the opening maiden hurdle, while the Rose Loxton-trained Monsieur Gibraltar (8-11) claimed the hunter chase that brought the jumps season at the Berkshire track to a close.