The Nicky Richards-trained horse was a winner on his hurdling debut at the Borders circuit back in October. Since then, he finished second at Ayr and fourth behind the high-quality Jonbon at Haydock. 

Unsurprisingly, the seven-year-old was priced at 16/1 for the £50,000 Grade Two contest, but put on a strong display in the hands of Irish jockey Sean O'Keeffe. In the end, Nells Son did enough to pop Alan King's Cheltenham Trials Day winner North Lodge by a short head.
Richmond Lake, runner-up to Jonbon at Haydock, appeared to be faltering when suffering a heavy fall at the final flight and bringing down Donny Boy. Both horses eventually got to their feet.
Richards said of the winner: "He's a grand horse and we've just sort of built him up.
"How he got beat Ayr, I'm not sure - I'd say it was just the trip that beat him.
"We dropped him back at Haydock where we rode him to run a good race as I went there thinking 'are you as good as I thought you were, or am I getting it wrong?' I thought he ran a grand race.
"He's fairly ground dependent - he needs a bit of soft ground, this horse.
"There's the Scottish Champion Hurdle (at Ayr) the week before Aintree this year, so I'll see what the weather is doing up in Scotland."
Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, Richards is excited to see what Nells Son can achieve over fences next term.
"I said to Sean when I first had a word with him, 'you'll be seeing this horse at Leopardstown next Christmas'," the Greystoke handler added.
"He'll be going chasing next year and I'd say he'll make a wonderful chaser."

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