Fair deal: It’s a big season for Sam Twiston-Davies. The New One gets a second crack at the Champion Hurdle and he is set to partner many of the big guns from the Nicholls stable. He already seems to be a rider who attracts frequent criticism, almost like the Ryan Moore situation in reverse. There was some of it around after Irving took a heavy fall at Wincanton. It looked simply a case of over jumping and not getting his landing gear out.

Earlier that week Twiston-Davies had given the difficult Vibralto Vibrat an incredibly cool ride in a novice chase at Warwick. He was also pretty good getting Urubu D’Irlande going again at Wincanton.