National is now ideal for Rocky Creek – Nicholls

The Paul Nicholls-trained 8-1 shot travelled well into the business end of the three-mile contest having headed the chasing pack behind early leader Renard.

Once called on for a maximum effort, the nine-year-old responded in style, pulling six lengths clear of runner-up Le Reve.

Following Rocky Creek’s win, which completed the second leg of a double for Nicholls and jockey Sam Twiston-Davies, his odds for the Aintree spectacular were cut to 12-1 with a handful of bookmakers.

Nicholls said: “That is just what we wanted before Aintree.

“What happened at Newbury (when tried) with the tongue tie was that he seemed to spit the dummy out (pulled up).

“I was never going to run him before the National weights came out as Aintree was always the number one target.

“He ran very well in the race last year and has had a breathing operation which has helped him. He jumped and travelled well in last year’s National and now that we have got his breathing right, the National should be right up his street and it will be a different ball game.”

Irish Saint got Nicholls and Twiston-Davies on the scoresheet earlier in the day when routing his rivals from the front in the BetBright Best For Festival Betting Pendil Novices’ Chase.

Jumping with real enthusiasm the even-money favourite coasted home by an eased down 10 lengths to provide his trainer with an eighth success in the two-and-a-half-mile Grade Two contest.

Nicholls said: “He jumps and stays well.

“He got beat by the mare at Sandown (Gitane Du Berlais) giving all those allowances away but he might just have needed it a fraction having had a winter break.

“He is in the JLT and we might look at it if it is testing as stamina comes in, otherwise he goes to Aintree which might suit him better.”

Beltor emerged as a serious contender for next month’s JCB Triumph Hurdle after posting an effortless victory in the BetBright Cheltenham Festival Fund Adonis Juvenile Hurdle.

Despite proving hard to settle early on, the Robert Stephens-trained 3-1 shot arrived at the second last in the two-mile contest hard on the bridle before quickly racing clear to follow up his debut win at Ludlow and score by five lengths.

Stephens said: “It was a fantastic win.

“His work has always been very good and he has held it all together, the only worry was that he may be a bit keen to take to hurdling.

“I think we have seriously got to consider the Triumph now, but I will have a chat with Tom (O’Brien, jockey).

“Both his wins have been on flat tracks but he is quite a tough sort and they will go a good gallop at Cheltenham and that will suit him.”

Days Of Heaven could be sent to the Grand National meeting in April after completing a hat-trick of victories with a win in the Sky Bet Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle.

After appearing to have surrendered his chances of victory in the two-mile Grade Two contest when clouting the penultimate hurdle, the 11-10 favourite produced an emphatic leap over the last before drawing two and three quarter lengths clear of second-placed Vago Collonges.

Henderson said: “I dare not put him in at Cheltenham as he would not cope with that at this stage, but Barry (Geraghty) thinks he ought to go to Aintree.

“Good ground will help him a lot. Getting through the preliminaries are a bit scary with him.

“He is very good but I thought he had chucked it away at the second last, but he was straight back on the bridle.

“He is very talented.”

The biggest cheer of the day came in the finale as AP McCoy guided 6-5 favourite Ghost River to a third victory in four starts in the racinguk.com Standard National Hunt Flat Race.

Winning trainer Peter Bowen said: “The only time he got beat he came back with mucky lungs, but he is a very good horse and that was a good performance as he had to do that from the front, which was not ideal.

“He will run in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and he will be better going on a stiffer track.”

Comeonginger (100-30) put in an exemplary round of jumping to record a pillar-to-post six-length victory in the BetBright Risk Free Bet Handicap Chase, while Shammick Boy (8-1) followed up wins at Exeter and Wincanton with a win in the Connolly’s Red Mills Handicap Hurdle, putting him on course for the Coral Cup at next month’s Cheltenham Festival.

Kilcooley made light work of the desperate conditions at Fontwell to claim the Grade Two totepool National Spirit Hurdle.

Trained by Charlie Longsdon and ridden by Noel Fehily, the six-year-old showed real guts in the heavy ground to gamely deny Silsol, the 4-9 favourite.

Kilcooley, who was pulled up in the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton on his most recent outing, was always within close proximity of early leader Kayf Moss, who had deployed similarly forceful tactics when winning this race 12 months ago.