AS the Worcester Novices’ Chase, the Grade 2 Ladbrokes John Francome Novices’ Chase had a prestigious roll of honour, although the race was moved from Worcester to Newbury two decades ago.

Paul Nicholls won the race at Worcester with his first top-class prospect, See More Indians, and has taken it a further nine times since, with the former Willie Mullins-trained Next Destination is the latest to add his name to the illustrious list.

Newcomer

Wearing the Malcolm Denmark silks still best known through the unbeaten hurdler Monsignor, Harry Cobden clearly had no concerns for his mount’s lack of experience.

Next Destination jumped very well for a newcomer, better than Kalooki (Philip Hobbs/Richard Johnson), who he shaded for favouritism at 11/8, and who he tracked in the race, taking over when that rival again jumped out to his left at the penultimate fence.

The winner had more than enough to hold the late challenge of One For The Team (Nick Williams/Tom Scudamore) who got within a length jumping the last, but was no closer at the line despite his best efforts.

Next Destination missed all of last year having finished third to Samcro in the Baring Bingham Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2018, but ran well on his debut for his new yard when second to Roksana in the West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby last month.

Mapping out possible plans for Next Destination, Paul Nicholls was mindful of the horse’s fragility, as he explained:

“I wouldn’t want to run him that often and we could go to Kempton on Boxing Day if the ground was very soft, but with horses who have had problems I’m nervous going there as they go from the grass to the all-weather, which isn’t ideal.

“Something like the Reynoldstown might suit and he’d have an entry in what was the RSA as he does jump a bit left-handed.”

IT was good to see a couple of smaller yards winning good pots at Newbury, with Mick Quinn saddling Pink Sheets in the colours of Larne entrepreneur Kenny Bruce in the listed mares’ novice hurdle, and Christian Williams won the Sir Peter O’Sullevan Memorial with Cap Du Nord in the colours of Ian Marmion’s Can’t Say No syndicate.

Glory for Floressa

The Listed Gerry Feilden Hurdle went as expected to Nicky Henderson, but not with the mare he was expected to succeed with. While Marie’s Rock experienced her first defeat under rules, stablemate Floressa stole the glory under Jerry McGrath at 10/1, beating The Pink’n, although whether the winner would have withheld the late challenge of Neil Mulholland’s luckless Milkwood, had that horse not been badly impeded at the penultimate flight, is another matter. The third, who came out of the Welsh Champion Hurdle which has worked out so well, remains one to keep on side.