He looked to have Stay Away Fay in trouble in the closing stages of that race, but the stamina of the Nicholls charge won the day at Sandown and he bagged the prize.

However, he could prove vulnerable to the Lucinda Russell-trained GIOVINCO, who was last seen being beaten by the classy Stay Away Fay at Sandown and he can make amends here to land a first Grade 1 prize. Stepping up to three miles, the Ditcheat raider has replaced the injured Knappers Hill as their primary shot in this contest and he is an exciting runner here. We are set for a hugely competitive renewal of the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at 13:20 on Boxing Day and Paul Nicholls is attempting to win it for a record-breaking sixth time when he unleashes Hermes Allen, who was hugely impressive when winning on chase debut at Newbury. 13:20 Kempton - Kauto Star Novices’ Chase