Coral Gold Cup: Kandoo performance sees the feature’s trophy heading back to Ditcheat

It was a first win in prestigious Newbury handicap for Paul Nicholls since Denman in 2009 as Kandoo Kid and Harry Cobden were victorious in the Coral Gold Cup

It was the Ditcheat handler’s first success in this race since the mighty Denman prevailed for the second time in 2009.

French raider General En Chef came cruising into contention down the long home straight and seemed set for an impressive triumph.

However, as he ran out of petrol after jumping the final fence, Kandoo Kid (8-1) still had plenty of stamina left in reserve and stayed on to score by a length and three-quarters under Harry Cobden, with 4-1 favourite Broadway Boy back in second after rallying from a bad mistake three out.

Kandoo Kid won here on this weekend 12 months ago and went on to run a series of solid races in good company, including when third in the Topham at Aintree in April, prompting plans for a crack at next year’s Grand National.

Following what was a superb seasonal debut, Nicholls told Sky Sports Racing: “He doesn’t want heaps of work and we just planned it back from here – I always felt he was a horse that could win this, he just loves it around here.

“Decent ground, he jumps and he’s got to the age where he’s got plenty of stamina now, so it was good.

“He’s got loads of jumping ability, he travels well, Harry was able to fill his lungs up turning in and then he galloped all the way to the line – a fantastic ride, he’s brilliant on those good days, Harry. He likes those ones, the big races.

“It’s a good team effort because everyone has worked hard to get him right, it was brilliant and now we can dream of Aintree, because that’s where I think we’ll probably go next, or possibly just one run before.

“He ran a blinder in the Topham and we thought then that the National would be a race for him and then come here on the way. He doesn’t need a run but whether we do or not, we’ll see.

“But I’d say he’s the sort of horse who will run well at Aintree.”

Nicholls has a fine record in this contest from when it was called the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup and he added: “This is a special race, I won it on Playschool and Broadheath (as a jockey) all those years ago, and then (as a trainer) Denman twice and Strong Flow, so to come back in the winner’s enclosure is fantastic.”

Cobden told ITV Racing: “We thought this time last year he was made for a race like this and didn’t actually expect him to come here off a mark of 145, so the horse has just improved tremendously.

“The boss has trained him beautifully; it’s hard to get a horse ready without a run for a race like this and all the credit goes to the team at home – he was easy to steer round.

“I didn’t think we went very fast, we just went a nice, easy gallop, it was sensibly controlled by Sammy (Twiston-Davies on Broadway Boy) on the front end, but I was always happy.

“This horse is not that quick, but he keeps finding and he really relished the three miles-plus.”

The New Lion stays on an upward curve at Newbury

The New Lion retained his unbeaten record when running out a ready winner of the Coral ‘We’re Here For It’ Novices’ Hurdle to headline a double for Dan and Harry Skelton at Newbury.

Having already prevailed in a Market Rasen bumper and on his debut over timber at Chepstow, the five-year-old was sent off as a 4-6 favourite and gave his supporters little to worry about.

He only had to be shaken up to hit the front between the final two flights and was always doing enough on the run-in to stay comfortably in front, eventually scoring by three lengths from Califet En Vol.

Harry Skelton said: “He’s stepped up again, he’s carried a penalty and that was a bit deeper race, wasn’t it.

“I don’t know what he beat at Chepstow, but he’s got the job done, picked up really nice off a bit of a muddling race. We didn’t go that quick and we sort of sprinted from three out, winged the second-last, landed on the bridle and picked up through the gears.

“There’s a bit more to come, he’s a good horse, he’s got a long way to go before he’s the finished article but he’s by Kayf Tara and should get better with age. I think long-term, he’s a good horse, but he’s only a baby and we’ll just mind him a little bit.”

Earlier, Listentoyourheart showed plenty of courage to come through late on and make it three out of three over timber in the Listed-class Play Coral ‘Racing-Super-Series’ For Free Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

Skelton’s 6-4 favourite jumped the final flight in third place but bravely put her head down and battled on in between the front two to score by a length and a half from Rula Bula.

The five-year-old was cut from 20-1 to 16s for the mares’ novices’ hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival by Betfair and Paddy Power.

Wiseguy (11-1) came out on top in the Coral Sir Peter O’Sullevan Memorial Handicap Chase for Nicky Henderson and James Bowen following a late tussle with 40-1 outsider Imperil, while the Coral Racing Club Intermediate Handicap Hurdle went the way of Navajo Indy for Tom Symonds and Gavin Sheehan.