Stay Away Fay makes perfect start to chasing career

PA Sport Reporters
November 10, 2023 4:38 pm

Silver Bowl success at Exeter for Nicholls’ runner.

Stay Away Fay made a winning debut over fences when taking the Betway ‘Future Stars’ Silver Bowl Novices’ Chase at Exeter.

The Paul Nicholls-trained bay won the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle last season, after which an eventual switch to chasing was immediately mentioned.

Exeter was his first outing over the larger obstacles and he started as the 5-6 favourite under Harry Cobden, with the race only attracting five runners and Dan Skelton’s Grey Dawning seeming to be his main rival.

There were no concerns over the market leader’s jumping as he looked totally at ease over each of his fences, leading for much of the way before looking to falter slightly on the turn for home.

When passed by other horses he quickly rallied, however, and was able to reel in those before him when easing up to a length-and-three-quarter success.

Nicholls said: “He stays, he jumps and he gallops. He is classy and that is what you want. I’m thrilled with that.

“I was a bit worried all week as I thought he looked big and round and that he would improve for a run. You almost expect too much from these horses and you have got to have them ready to do that, but also have them ready to improve. There is lots to come from him.

“He absolutely winged the last and I thought from there he would stay on strong. Harry said he could have done with them coming to him a bit earlier as he was idling a little bit in front. It is a great start to the season for him and he is a really classy horse.

“I was fairly confident he would gallop all the way to the line. I just thought he might need the run, and he might still have done.”

Sandown’s Betfair Esher Novices’ Chase on December 8 is the next port of call on his way to the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Christmas

Nicholls said: “There is a new novice chase at the Tingle Creek meeting at Sandown over three miles worth sixty odd thousand pounds, so he will go there then to Kempton Park and then we will give him a break. That is a good route here, Sandown then Kempton.”

As a result of the victory, Coral made the gelding a 10-1 chance from 12-1 for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase and 10-1 from 14-1 for the National Hunt Chase, but the trainer only has the first-named contest in mind.

He added: “He will run in the three-miler at the Cheltenham Festival as he is too classy for the National Hunt Chase. He will run in that and you would like to think he will ultimately end up being a Cheltenham Gold Cup horse. That is what the owners dream of.

“It is a long way up that ladder put he has put his foot on the first step. I think there is a lot to come from him.”

Nicholls and Cobden enjoyed another promising triumph on the card as Insurrection made light work of the Betway Novices’ Hurdle at 11-4.

The six-year-old was a point-to-point winner who had just one bumper outing before a wind operation in readiness for his debut run over hurdles.

The market was focused on Joe Tizzard’s Diamond Ri, the evens favourite, but it was Insurrection who made all of the running and swept to an easy eight-and-a-half-length win.

Nicholls said: “We have won this race with some good horses and that was really good. We always thought a lot of him last season, but he was disappointing at Ffos Las (beaten bumper run), but that was because he was choking so we put that right and you wanted to see him do that well today.

“He has won a point-to-point over three miles, he obviously stays and he was fit, so the thing to do was bowl along in front. What I liked more than anything was that he sprinted from the back of the last.

“He has (taken me by surprise) a bit, but that is what novice hurdles are about as you get some that are disappointing and some that go well.

“He might be the sort of horse to go down the route Tahmuras did last season, by finding another race like this then go for what was the Tolworth Hurdle.”