No Drama This End set to chart direct path to Challow

Paul Nicholls will resist the temptation to run the ultra-exciting No Drama This End at Sandown on Friday week, and instead follow the tried and tested path of Newbury’s Challow Novices’ Hurdle over the Christmas period.

The imposing five-year-old earned rave reviews after his facile win at Cheltenham earlier this month and will now seek to add his name to a roll of honour that includes some of Ditcheat’s finest on December 29.

Nicholls – who has won the Coral-sponsored Challow four times in the last five years – said: “He’s fine and it would have been easy to go to Sandown next week for the Winter Novices’ Hurdle if I wanted to, but then you’re close enough to the Challow and he doesn’t need the experience really. because he already seems like quite an experienced horse mentally, he’s very laid-back.

“It’s hard to do Sandown and Newbury, so the wise plan is to head straight to Newbury and that’s where he’s going. The ground wouldn’t worry him but you can’t do both. We always thought Challow for him and I like taking them to Newbury so that’s where we will go.”

Nicholls also sought to clarify the reference he made to his Gold Cup hero Denman in the aftermath of No Drama This End’s taking hurdling bow in Grade Two company at Prestbury Park.

He added: “I wasn’t trying to compare him to Denman, what I meant was if we’re lucky and we’ve got one who might be Denman down the line, it might be him – I wasn’t comparing them in any way at all.

“He’s a lovely horse, but who knows. I won’t say he’s the next Denman, we’ve waited a long time to find one like him and if we’re lucky we might do.

“He’s made a nice start, he’s run three times, won twice and no one has ever given him a slap yet. To win a Grade Two first time out over hurdles, you are bound to be excited, but he still has a long way to go.”