Irving tops at Haydock Paul Nicholls' Irving gained a hard-fought victory in the Grade Two Betfair Price Rush Hurdle at Haydock Park. The winner of the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton on his reappearance, he was ridden with plenty of confidence by Nick Scholfield as main market rival Top Notch cut out the running. Last of the quartet turning in, he was far from fluent at the third last and had to work to quicken in between Melodic Rendezvous and Fou Et Sage to go in pursuit of the leader. The pair jumped the last together and the 10/11 favourite battled on gamely to record a length and a quarter success from his three year younger rival who was eased down near the line after finding himself a little short of room close home. Scholfield said: "I was probably over confident if anything, but it was a good performance by the horse. He was clever, he was good at the last." Nicholls said: "It was a muddling race, but Nick said he was always pretty confident. He takes time to open up, but he's good from the back of the last and did it well in the end. "He could run again next Saturday if we're happy with him at the end of the week and then we'll give him a break. "We won't do a lot with him for the next few days and if he does go to Newcastle, we'll probably leave him then until after Christmas. "There isn't a lot else for him, so we have to think about it (Fighting Fifth)."
