Silver Forever claims Newbury gold

Paul Nicholls has Cheltenham in mind for Listed winner.

Silver Forever showed her class when winning for the second time since returning from a lengthy absence in the Make Your Best Bet At BetVictor Mares’ Chase at Newbury.

The Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old had comfortably beaten sole rival Imperial Alcazar when making a successful debut over fences last month after 670 days on the sidelines.

This Listed contest represented a tougher task, but she dispensed with the opposition with relative ease to run out an an impressive winner in the hands of Harry Cobden.

Always close to the pace set by Hawthorn Cottage, 5-6 favourite Silver Forever took it up at the second-last and a superb leap at the final obstacle sealed her victory.

Cobden eased down close home, allowing the staying-on Chilli Filli to get within a length and three-quarters of the winner. Legends Gold was nine lengths away in third place.

Nicholls said: “It was a good performance. She’s improving. Obviously she’s come on a bit for her last run when she won here at the last meeting. I’m very pleased with her.

“She’ll be entered at Cheltenham in the RSA and the Mares’ Chase. We’ll keep our options open because it might be her best trip will be three miles.

“It would be very interesting in that sort of race (RSA) against the geldings with a 7lb mares’ allowance. That’s handy, so she’ll have a couple of entries at Cheltenham and then we’ll find one run somewhere beforehand.”

Paul Nicholls was delighted with Silver Forever
Paul Nicholls was delighted with Silver Forever (Steven Paston/PA)

On where Silver Forever might be seen in action next, the trainer added: “I’m not mad to run her in a hurry. There is a valuable mares’ race at Doncaster at the end of this month, but that might just come a bit quick.

“We’ll find a novice chase in the middle of January. We haven’t really made a concrete plan but I imagine she’ll have one run before Cheltenham with two options.”

Silver Forever was trimmed to 10-1 from 16-1 for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival with the sponsors and Betfair.

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