Brio Conti picks up Kempton consolation prize after missing Cheltenham cut

Paul Nicholls was all smiles after Brio Conti put behind him the disappointment of failing to make the cut at the Cheltenham Festival with victory in the Better Odds With Matchbook Silver Plate Handicap Hurdle at Kempton.Having being balloted out of the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, the six-year-old gained compensation when registering a decisive victory in the extended two-mile-five-furlong contest.The 8-1 winner travelled smoothly throughout under Sean Bowen and took matters up at the second-last, before clearing away to score by three and a half lengths.The Ditcheat handler said: "I wanted him in the boys' race at Cheltenham, but he got balloted out of that. Credit to Kempton, though, for putting this on, as it is a very competitive race."I thought 135 was a nice mark and this was ideal . He will probably go back in a novice race now. Sean rode him last time and I let him stay on him. He gave him a peach of a ride."We have always thought he is a decent horse, he has just taken his time to get his act together and mature. His biggest problem was he was keen in his races and I was a bit worried on the first circuit today."He will probably run in the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One novice at Aintree. Sean said let him have a crack at a good one as he is going to be rated 140-plus after today, so I suspect that is where we will go."