Nells Son emerged as the unexpected winner of the feature 2m graduation chase, seizing victory after favourite Kalif Du Berlais took a dramatic fall. Kalif Du Berlais, a celebrated contender and the February Grade 2 Adonis Hurdle champion, entered the race as a hot favourite, backed at 4-11 odds by his trainer, Paul Nicholls. Known as a prized horse in Nicholls’ stable, Kalif Du Berlais was well-positioned under jockey Harry Cobden and maintained a strong second place before an unexpected fall at the fourth-last fence—a challenging open ditch—ended his chances.
With Kalif Du Berlais out of the running, Unexpected Party briefly led the race but was soon overtaken by Nells Son, ridden by Danny McMenamin. At 12-1 odds, Nells Son secured the win by a length, beating a strong field in a surprising turn of events. Meanwhile, Path D'Oroux, trained by Gavin Cromwell, failed to build on his recent Cheltenham win, finishing last in the £50,000 event, which had returned after two years of cancellations due to waterlogged conditions.
Paul Nicholls, observing from London at the Betting Shop Manager of the Year awards, shared his relief upon seeing Kalif Du Berlais walk away unscathed after the fall. "We expected a win from Kalif Du Berlais, but his fall was serious. Thankfully, he’s unharmed, passed the vet check, and is on his way home,” Nicholls remarked, highlighting the unpredictability of racing.
Nells Son’s trainer, Nicky Richards, expressed satisfaction at his nine-year-old’s back-to-back victories over this course and distance. Acknowledging that the odds weren’t entirely in their favour, Richards explained that with only four runners, he felt it was worth taking a chance. Richards plans to keep Nells Son at two miles and will give the horse a break to maintain his energy for a strong winter season.
Elsewhere, Unexpected Party’s jockey, Harry Skelton, closed out the event by securing wins in other races, starting with Asta La Pasta’s victory in the novice handicap chase and following up with Getawhisky’s successful bumper debut.