No Drama This End gets back on track at Perth after Cheltenham Festival flop

Paul Nicholls' six-year-old was sent off the 8/11 favourite for the three-mile race on the back of a disappointing performance in the Grade 1 Turners Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival where he was pulled up.

After missing the Sefton Novices' Hurdle at Aintree due to a burst blood vessel it was a reroute to Scotland to get his career back on track and he did so after knuckling down under Harry Cobden, riding his 100th winner of the season.

Dan Skelton's Tormund Giantsbane set his stall out from the front end under Harry Skelton and the pair pulled miles clear of their other two rivals in the straight.

At one moment it looked as though Skelton might get one over his old boss, but No Drama This End dug deep to pull clear on the run in and he was three and a half lengths clear at the line.

Even though the winner was giving 5lb to the 129-rated runner-up, this was no more than a satisfactory return to the winner's enclosure all things told and Paddy Power pushed him out to 25/1 from 12/1 for next year's Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at Cheltenham.

Nicholls said: “He’s a real strong stayer he wants a trip and he’ll gallop forever.

“It didn’t happen that day [at Cheltenham], the start was wrong he got behind and Harry quite rightly pulled him up. Aintree we thought three miles would suit and of course and he had a nosebleed.

“It’s nice to end the season with a win. He’s won four and he was always going to be an exciting chaser.

“We’ll find a three-mile novice chase for him. I wouldn’t be afraid to start him over two and a half to start with but we’ll make that plan in the autumn.

“I wouldn’t want him getting too fat, he’s not exactly a light horse. First season hurdles, he’s done really well bar a couple of blips, but chasing will bring out the best in him.”

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