Owner Max McNeill believes No Drama This End is the most exciting horse he has ever sent over fences ahead of his debut over the larger obstacles in the Boodles Rising Stars Novices’ Chase at Aintree on Saturday.
The two-and-a-half-mile Grade Two test, which has been switched to the Merseyside track from Wincanton, is the preferred option for the son of Walk In The Park, who also holds an entry in the “Future Star” Silver Bowl “Chasing Excellence” Novices’ Chase at the same venue on Friday.
Although things failed to go to plan for Paul Nicholls-trained gelding when sent off favourite in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, he showed he was one of the most exciting youngsters around in December when securing Grade One glory in the Coral Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury.
And having ended the season on a winning note on his first start over three miles in the Listed British EBF Gold Castle ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle at Perth, McNeill, who owns the six year old in partnership with Chris & Giles Barber, hopes he can pick up where he left off now switched to fences.
He said: “As long as Paul is happy with the ground we will take our chance in the Rising Stars, and we are leaning towards going. It looks like a good race, which you would expect, and hope. I know he won over three miles over hurdles at Perth the last day, but we will stick at two-and-a-half miles to start with as that is what Paul wants to do.
“This is his day job now as this is what he is bred to do. This is where you would hope he can go on and progress and show what he can do. I think, as we stand here now, he is the most exciting horse I have ever gone chasing with. I’ve had lots of good horses in the past, but on paper he is the best chaser that I’ve had.”
A step up to three miles could beckon after this race with both the Grade Two Betfair Esher Novices’ Chase at Sandown Park and the Grade One Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton Park possible targets this side of the new year.
However, McNeill is well aware that before looking further down the line, No Drama This End will have to have his wits about him on his chasing bow given the potential level of opposition at the weekend.
McNeill added: “We would like to go to Sandown after this, and hopefully Kempton Park, that’s the plan, but he has got to get through this test first, which is a pretty severe test. You have got Talk To The Man in there, who has had a run already, and Harry Derham’s horse, Cristal d’Estruval, looks nice, as does Nicky Henderson’s horse, Crystal Island.
“He did a piece of work at Bath recently, and he looked good, but he is a proper horse. From the videos I’ve seen of him at Paul’s he can certainly jump a fence. All the signs are positive, and it is exciting.”
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