McFabulous cruises to Relkeel success at Kempton

Paul Nicholls was winning the Grade 2 prize for the second time in a race that was saved from Cheltenham's abandoned New Year's Day meeting.

Sent off 10/11 dropping back in trip after he was third in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury last time out, Harry Cobden kept McFabulous wide throughout but he was far too good for his opposition and just held together to win by two-and-a-quarter lengths from On The Blind Side.

Nicholls said: “This trip (two and a half miles) suits him. He will have an entry in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, just in case it falls apart or something, but I guess I’d nearly keep him fresh for Aintree. I think Aintree over two and a half would suit him well.

“A fresh, flat track would suit him as well. We might then look at Sandown on the last day of the season as there is a lovely race for him there over two-five, then we can go chasing in the autumn as that is his job.

“We tried the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury and he wasn’t beaten far, but I’m not convinced I want to give him a hard race against those horses at this stage of his career if he is going to be a super chaser.

“I see him as an ideal horse for the Kauto Star (Novices’ Chase, at Kempton) next season.”

Of more immediate plans, he added: “You could look at the National Spirit Hurdle as it is a valuable race, but it is usually desperate ground and I wouldn’t be keen to run him.

“If we go to Aintree we could do that. I will talk to the boys. They are keen to have an entry for Stayers’ Hurdle, but it doesn’t convince me after Newbury. I think Aintree would be really good for him.

“He has got loads of natural speed and ability. He has come back in the winner’s enclosure with his tail in the air and it hardly looked like he had a race.”

Olly Murphy was delighted with third-placed Thomas Darby, saying: “He ran an absolute cracker and is crying out for three miles.

“It was a very encouraging run. He missed three out, but he was travelling well throughout the race.

“I was desperate to run him at Leopardstown over Christmas, but we couldn’t get there for one reason or another.

“The three-mile Grade One at Aintree will be his ultimate aim, as opposed to the Stayers’ Hurdle. There was a lot of positives to take out of that.”