GETAWAY Trump saved his best until last after putting in a smart weight-carrying performance in the bet365 Novices’ Championship Final Handicap Hurdle at Sandown.

Giving upwards of 10lbs away to his rivals, the Paul Nicholls-trained six-year-old gained his fourth win of the season when prevailing in the two-mile prize.

Moving on under Harry Cobden before the last, the 9/2 favourite stayed on in determined fashion to defeat Harambe by two and three-quarter lengths.

Nicholls said: “We sent him to Ayr to qualify for this race, he had to be in the first six and I thought we blew it as he won so well that day. Today off that mark was a really good performance.

“He just wasn’t quite right when he and Black Corton went to Kelso and they must have been wrong or had a bad journey as they didn’t perform at all.

“He looks great and has kept his condition and has kept on improving. He is an amazing horse, really, considering I couldn’t win a bumper with him last season.”

Looking ahead to next season, Nicholls is considering keeping Getaway Trump to hurdles after he was introduced at 33/1 by Paddy Power for the Champion Hurdle.

He said: “We were going to go chasing, but he is improving rapidly. He would have to progress again to be on the fringes of a Champion Hurdle horse.

“We could start him off in the Elite at Wincanton and if he won that then look at the Fighting Fifth. If we got beat at Wincanton we could go chasing.”