Paul Nicholls landed a fourth-straight Grade 1 Challow Hurdle when Captain Teague ploughed his way through the worsening conditions at Newbury on Saturday.
Paul Nicholls certainly knows what it takes to win a Challow Hurdle having landed the last three renewals of the Newbury Grade 1 courtesy of Bravemansgame, Stage Star, and Hermes Allen. The Ditcheat-handler also saddled Denman to score in 2005.
The Paul Nicholls-trained gelding stayed on strongly in eye-catching style when third in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival last season. Johnny de la Hey's charge made the perfect start to life over hurdles with a nice performance in the Grade 2 Persian War Novices' Hurdle at Chepstow in October, but he subsequently suffered a shock defeat under a penalty at Cheltenham last month.
However, a better showing was clearly expected at Newbury this afternoon as Captain Teague was sent off the 2/1 market leader to get back to winning ways.
Harry Coden always looked happy with his position on board Captain Teague and the pair approached the second-last seemingly full of running. Cobden was cautious to bide his time before hitting the front but found himself a length to the good jumping the final flight.
Longtime leader Lookaway battled on strongly all the way to the line, but he could never quite get back on terms with Captain Teague, who always looked to be doing enough under Cobden in the gruelling conditions.
Ben Pauling's The Jukebox Man outran his 20/1 starting price back in third, while the Jonjo O'Neill-trained Johnnywho rallied well in the closing stages to grab fourth.
The easy-to-back 9/4 chance Willmount disappointed for trainer Nicky Henderson and was ultimately eased out of contention.
Nicholls, who was recording a sixth success in the Challow Hurdle, told ITV Racing: "He travelled well and jumped brilliantly today and he's learning all the time,"
"He just idled in front, and I said to Harry if you are going well stride on a bit and try and put the race to bed, but he wishes he had hung on a little longer because he just doesn't do anything in front.
"He's basically just learning all the time and he's a lovely horse and I'm thrilled.
"He will keep on improving and he's a laid-back horse. We've done a lot of work on his jumping, and he jumped better today – he didn't jump that great at Cheltenham. It just comes too easy for him and he's almost too laid-back. There he's travelled well, hit the front and thinks he has done enough.
"The best you will see of him is when he jumps a fence next season and he will ultimately get three miles one day, he's a proper horse."
On future plans, Nicholls continued: "I will discuss it with Johnny (De La Hay, owner) and I do think soft ground is very important to him.
"If you are talking about Cheltenham and things like that and it was goodish ground you would want to be going three miles (in the Albert Bartlett) and you wouldn't be afraid of going three miles. If it was testing ground, this sort of trip is ideal, but soft ground is important.
"If you go where Bravemansgame, Stage Star and Hermes Allen are, then he is in that sort of mix, and they all ended up being decent chasers and that is where he will be one day."
Paddy Power cut the winner to 14/1 (from 33/1) for the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.
