Champion Bumper’s third captain Teague powered clear to give Paul Nicholls a ninth success in the Persian War Novices’ Hurdle at Chepstow on Friday.
During his difficult debut over hurdles against more experienced rivals, Captain Teague entered the running between the penultimate and penultimate hurdles.
And once jockey Harry Cobden asked his mount to speed up, he pulled away and although he was idling close to home, he still managed to win by over nine lengths at the line with Resplendent gray the edge rock house by a neck in second.
The winner – reduced to 16/1 for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle – made just one notable jumping error at the penultimate hurdle but recovered well to record an easy weekend success opening of the jumping season.
After the race, a delighted Nicholls named the Grade One Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury as a potential option for his star novice, having won the race in the past three years with Hermes Allen, Stage Star and Bravemansgame.
The champion trainer said Air sports races: “It’s his first race and he hasn’t been trained on grass, so there’s so much to learn mentally and physically.
“It was a great race to start him off and we were confident he would run well because he had shown a high level of fitness. You can always go for a regular novice hurdle and he can only improve from here .
“There’s a good novice hurdle at the Newbury meeting or Sandown – I’d like to have a run and then go to the Challow Hurdle.
“In the end he was bought to become a hunter. We were a little nervous because it’s the beginning, but it’s all about learning in these beginner obstacles.”
Good Boy Bobby smells Aye Right
Earlier on the map, Good boy Bobby shaken Yes, it’s true for a dramatic victory in the Unibet Veterans’ Handicap Chase for Sam Twiston-Davies and Nigel Twiston-Davies.
The race centered around the two old rivals who dominated throughout when a mistake at the penultimate obstacle appeared to cost the former any chance of victory.
But despite the final clear jump, Aye Right slowed down his seasonal reappearance under Ryan Mania and allowed Good Boy Bobby to get back up in the final strides of a neck, with Cyclops remaining two lengths further in third.