Challow Novices' Hurdle Tips: Nicholls' Star Can Stroll To Glory

A race that has become a Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden benefit in recent years is the Challow Novices' Hurdle, although in 2024 the duo look to be facing up to a serious challenge from at least one contender. Find out if Billy Grimshaw is with or against the defending champion connections...

All runs have to come to an end at some stage, and perhaps after four seasons in a row with Nicholls and Cobden combining to take out the Challow Novices' Hurdle 2024 will be the year they are denied, but I'm not convinced. Admittedly, the challenge this season certainly looks more substantial than it has in a few of the more recent renewals, but for all The New Lion won well over this course and distance for Dan and Harry Skelton on his second hurdling start and looks a horse with a lot of potential, I was more visually impressed by what I saw from REGENT'S STROLL and think he'll make it five in a row for messrs Nicholls and Cobden.

Of course, the elephant in the room is that Regent's Stroll made an absolute horlicks of the second last here on his hurdling debut over 2 miles, but too much has been made of that one error for my liking and putting it aside, it was a fine performance from this strapping future chaser. His price tag also may put a few off in terms of warming to the horse, but the horse doesn't know or dictate its price and this strange phenomenon we also saw applied to Jonbon in his early years is one I've never really got behind. The mistake could in fact work out as a blessing in disguise for Regent's Stroll because his debut win was nothing more than a stretch of the legs until that point, but after it Harry Cobden had to get to work on the horse and that experience will be more useful than a trot and easy win in time.

He still ended up winning that race by almost ten lengths and while it is true a few in here would've been disappointed if they hadn't won that race if substituted in for Regent's Stroll, there is just something about the way he travels so effortlessly that has made me really warm to this horse. Couple that with the team's fine record in this race and obvious targeting of it and I expect a very bold bid.

This is not just a two horse race, for all that I do see The New Lion as the main danger to Regent's Stroll, and Bill Joyce for Jonjo and AJ O'Neill looked a more than useful prospect on hurdles debut and excelled once more to grab a Sandown Grade 2 by the scruff of the neck and not let go. Kingston Pride from Seven Barrows was favourite that day and pulled up, which some may use as a stick to beat the form line with, but even if the favourite had run to form I think he'd have had a hard time reeling in this son of Mahler and I definitely don't want him getting an easy lead.

Thankfully Regent's Stroll seemingly likes to get on with things, as does It's Hard To Know for Ben Pauling judging by his two runs, two wins - made all - assessment. I'm not sure he will be able to lead this group as easily as he has done thus far and he has thrown in a few novicey jumps thus far, but that's to be expected and he did well last time out to defy a penalty and score at Market Rasen. He's not out of the equation and could give supporters a run for their money at a big price.

The other outsider I wanted to mention was Joe Tizzard's First Confession, who I won't be supporting here but probably will be at some point down the line. He made a satisfactory hurdling debut at Cheltenham to finish third but his win last time out at Ascot can be marked up considerably as the horse was giving Brendan Powell all sorts of grief with his green antics yet still managed to fend off all comers and score. This could be a bridge too far at this stage but if he runs well for third or fourth, I'd whack him in the trackers.