Regent's Stroll to miss Cheltenham after Exeter defeat

The six-year-old, who was bought by his current owners for £660,000 at the Chris Giles dispersal sale following a win in a Newbury bumper last term, went down by two lengths to Fingle Bridge at the weekend.

He was dropping back to two miles there having been fourth in the Challow Hurdle on his previous start and is set to return to two-and-a-half on his next start.

Speaking on Monday’s Betfair Ditcheat Diary the trainer said: “He ran OK, he probably wants further, two-and-a-half miles now. Fingle Bridge won nicely and didn’t give him a soft lead in front but he settled better yesterday and was very good in the preliminaries.

“We’re not going to go to Cheltenham now, I just want to get some experience into him through the spring and build him up quietly and not over face him. He’ll be fine in time.”

Stablemate Rubaud ran well when shaking up L’Eau Du Sud in the Kingmaker at Warwick and is another who will go up in distance next time.

“Rubaud ran a blinder and he’ll go to the Pendil next time over two-and-a-half miles. We just hope the ground starts to dry up for him but it was great to see him jump like that,” Nicholls added.

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