Valley Henry takes Newbury feature

Paul Nicholls has his sights set firmly on the Cheltenham Festival for Valley Henry after the six-year-old landed the feature event at Newbury today.

The winner belied his trainer`s fears over the three-mile trip when taking the £30,000 Bet 365 Telebet Novices` Chase by four lengths from Frosty Canyon.

The 15-8 favourite, owned by Paul Barber, was always travelling well under Timmy Murphy and, switched to the inside on the turn for home, stayed on nicely as his rivals blundered their way out of contention.

Southern Star, who tried to go through the second-last fence rather than over it, finished a further nine lengths back in third.

Coral and Paddy Power both made the winner 7-1 (from 10-1) for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase, which is very much his target according to Nicholls.

'He`s not the easiest horse to train,' said Nicholls. 'He was very well first time out but it`s easy to get him over the top a little bit.

'I was worried about him staying here but Timmy wasn`t and Paul wasn`t either.

'Timmy said that he was keeping on galloping at the finish which I was pleased to hear.

'He`s got a month before Kempton now and if he`s alright he will run on Boxing Day (in the Feltham Novices` Chase).

'If he`s not alright then I would be happy to wait until Cheltenham.

'He`s a big horse who takes a lot out of himself in his races.

'The race Paul wants to win is the Gold Cup. I hope I can get him there one day.'

Nicholls and Murphy were completing a short-priced double, having taken the opener with Le Roi Miguel, who made a winning debut in Britain.

Having shown decent form over timber in France, he was backed to the exclusion of all others in the Q Associates Juvenile Novices` Hurdle.

And the 10-11 favourite won as he liked, scoring by an effortless 10 lengths from 33-1 outsider Jalons Star.

'You only have to look at him to see where his future lies,' said Nicholls.

'He looks like a five-year-old chaser and he is very mature. I thought if we won here then we might look at the valuable Summit Junior Hurdle at Lingfield for him, and then give him a break.'

Coral took a view on his performance, making Le Roi Miguel their 10-1 favourite for the Triumph Hurdle, although William Hill offer a more realistic-looking 25-1.

'I don`t know about the Triumph,' added Nicholls. 'If it came to the spring and the rest didn`t look that good then we`d have to think about it but his future is not over hurdles.

'He has worked with good horses, with horses like St Pirran and See More Business and he has stayed on the bridle with them.'

Marble Arch was an equally impressive winner of the Tote Jackpot Hurdle.

Hughie Morrison has only half a dozen jumpers among his predominantly Flat string but he has already sent out Frenchman`s Creek to win a nice prize this season and did the trick again here.

'He never used to stay two miles at even the sharpest track but he is settling better and getting better,' Morrison said of the 8-1 winner.

'I suppose we`ll have to look at the big handicap hurdles for him now.'

Billingsgate returned from a 989-day absence to take the bet365.com Group Novices` Hurdle.

The nine-year-old, who dwarfed his rivals in the parade ring, has suffered from problems with his joints throughout his career which have interrupted his racecourse appearances.

And the 100-30 shot`s success here looked to have a sting in the tail for connections when winning rider Tony McCoy dismounted quickly after the line.

But despite having sustained a nasty-looking cut when knocking into himself, Hobbs was hopeful that the injury was only superficial.

'Provided he`s okay we`ll look for a similar sort of race,' the trainer said. 'He`s obviously had his problems but he is a nice horse.'

Max Pride looks a progressive young chaser judged on his pleasing win in the Lambourn Valley Housing Trust Handicap Chase.

The six-year-old stayed on resolutely to score by six lengths from Cedar Square and may run again at Towcester next week.

'He is a boy who has turned into a man,' said winning trainer Robin Dickin.

'We`ve had him since he was a baby and it`s always rewarding to see a horse grow up like that.

'If he bounces out of this race - and I think he will - and it doesn`t come up like a bog, then there`s a £20,000 race at Towcester in eight days` time for him.'

Image de Marque II sent favourite-backers home happy when completing a four-timer in the TFMCyntergy Conditional Jockeys` Novices` Handicap Hurdle.