Pipe keeping options open after Great Endeavour win

The classy grey bounced right back to his best to see off Quantitativeeasing, with the Ferdy Murphy-trained Divers recapturing something like the form that took him into the Festival winner’s enclosure in third.

The December Gold Cup is a possibility for Great Endeavour, although he could test his stamina in the Hennessy Gold Cup over three-and-a-quarter miles at Newbury later this month.

“That was very good as he lost a plate during the race,” said Pipe. “He ate up and has come out of it very well.

“The Hennessy is a possible or coming back here in a month’s time, for the two-mile-five handicap chase.

“We’ll have a word with DJ (David Johnson, owner) and decide.”

Paul Nicholls’s ante-post fancy Mon Parrain may have been found wanting in the Paddy Power but the champion trainer still enjoyed a treble on the day and saw Al Ferof enhance his Arkle claims with an impressive display in the Independent Newspaper Novices’ Chase yesterday.

Winner of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in March, the grey was never out of second gear and was immaculate at the final two fences before easing clear to score by seven lengths, giving Nicholls his fourth successive victory in the Grade Two event.

The handler said: “I was really pleased with that because I wasn’t convinced he was going to be that good first time.

“We’ve done loads with him at home. It was good to see him do it like that – the problem is he’s been too brave. He’s just been too enthusiastic, but that will have done him the world of good as it bodes well for the future.

“The main aim is the Arkle. Between now and then we’ll just get him some experience, and not necessarily aim him too high. I just want to get a bit of practice into him and get him at his very best for March, like he was last season.”

Nicholls’s fine run continued when Brampour ran away from a competitive field of handicappers in the Greatwood Hurdle.