Grade 1 Success For Walk In The Park’s No Drama This End

No Drama This End (5g Walk In The Park - La Segnora, by Turgeon) extended his unbeaten record over hurdles with a first Grade 1 victory in the Challow Novices' Hurdle at Newbury on Monday .

The Paul Nicholls-trained gelding had won a brace of Grade 2 contests on his two previous starts over hurdles and was sent off a warm favourite to complete the hat-trick.

Ridden once again by Harry Cobden, No Drama This End was quick to take up the lead and was never headed when powering to a comfortable length and a quarter victory.

Nicholls said: “He’s learned a lot doing that from the front and not the other way. I said to Harry to ride him like the best horse in the race and it was fantastic.

“He’s a real character all right and he’s beginning to wake up and realise what a big lad he is. Seeing him in the parade ring, he was as sharp as I’ve seen him for a long time and I just love the way Harry gave him one little slap after the last and he just took off.

“He’s obviously very special and to back it up after three weeks and then another three weeks has not been ideal so it hasn’t been easy to get him ready for today, there was one time last week we weren’t going to run today and go Cheltenham on Trials Day instead.”

He added: “He just came right this week and I wanted to give him a nice bit of time off between now and the Cheltenham Festival so it has worked out beautifully and we’ll go straight there now.

“We’ll cover all options and he’ll get entries in both the Turners and the Albert Bartlett and I would say he’s just shown there how effective he is on good ground and how effective he is over the intermediate trip.”

Bred by Mrs Dale Adams, No Drama This End became the second individual Grade 1 winner in two days for Walk In The Park, following on from Final Demand's victory in Limerick's Faugheen Novice Chase on Sunday.