Iceo strikes Imperial gold for Nicholls

Champion trainer heads to Cheltenham in red-hot form.

Iceo provided Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden with big-race success ahead of next week’s Cheltenham Festival with an impressive display in the Betfair Imperial Cup at Sandown.

The champion trainer has not saddled a winner at the showpiece meeting since the Queen Mother Champion Chase with Politologue three years ago, but will return to the Cotswolds with high hopes for the likes Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle ace Hermes Allen and Gold Cup contender Bravemansgame.

The Ditcheat team claimed eight winners in the first nine days of March and Iceo continued the hot streak with victory in the traditional feature the weekend before the Festival.

The French recruit ran with promise in a couple of Grade Two juvenile events last season and finished second on his handicap debut at Sandown in January, his first appearance in 11 months.

The four-year-old was 5-1 for this tougher assignment and while the front-running Knickerbockerglory looked likely to prevail halfway up the home straight, Iceo reeled him in between the final two flights and was ultimately good value for the winning margin of just under four lengths.

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