Joint-favourite Sporazene (7-1) completed a memorable afternoon for Nicholls and
Walsh with victory in the closing Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle.
Irish raider Harchibald, the other market leader, looked all over the winner
after the second last, so well was he travelling.
But Sporazene picked up well and was in command jumping the last and he
stayed on strongly to hold the late rally of Hawadeth (50-1) by half a length.
Copeland (25-1) was third, beaten another one and a half lengths, with
Balapour (12-1) fourth and Harchibald surprisingly faded to finish fifth.
The victory clinched the leading rider at the meeting award for Walsh.
Nicholls, who was celebrating his first success over hurdles at the Festival,
said: ``On his Kempton run he had to take all the beating. He probably idled a
bit, but Ruby said he got there a bit too soon.
``Hopefully he will be back next year for the Arkle. I have already schooled
him over fences and he is brilliant.
``It is on to Liverpool now. We are back on top and we will have to try and
stay on top.''
When asked if he had kicked on too early, winning jockey Walsh said: ``They went
a very fast pace, so I thought I had better get there.
``The ground has got very testing and he just got a bit tired going up the
hill.
``The highlight of the week was definitely Azertyuiop.''
Conditional jockey Jamie Moore will miss the Martell Cognac Grand National
meeting at Aintree after being found guilty of a whip offence on Copeland.
The stewards deemed that Moore had used his whip with excessive frequency from
the second-last hurdle, and he will be sidelined on March 30 and from April
1-3.
He missed the winning Festival ride on Tikram when ruled out due to
a similar offence.
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