Tasty double for Nicholls

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls landed an across the card double when Tatenen followed up Hell's Bay's earlier Chepstow success at Aintree.

Already high up in the lists for the Arkle Trophy in March, Tatenen (4/7f) made an assured debut over fences under Ruby Walsh in the intercasino.co.uk Molyneux Novices' Chase and is now 7/1 with Sky Bet for Cheltenham.

Assuming control over the erratic Striking Article at the sixth, Walsh was motionless as the French import galloped clear in the straight to win by 11 lengths over the staying on The Duke's Speech.

"That was just what we wanted," said Nicholls. "That was only his fifth run over jumps, so he's a bit to learn, but he's going the right way.

"He's a big, light-framed horse that we just want to nurture. He won't have too many runs before March.

"We'll just see what the ground is like and take things step by step."

Hell's Bay ran out an impressive winner of the totesport 0800 221 221 Persian War Novices' Hurdle at odds of 16/1 under Sam Thomas.

The six-year-old has clearly benefited from a summer at grass and jumped to the front two from home in the Grade Two feature.

Thomas did not have to get serious with the Supreme Leader gelding and the pair scored by five lengths from the Phillip Hobbs-trained Tarablaze.

"We have always thought Hell's Bay was a very nice horse and he has improve physically," Nicholls told BBC Sport.

"We had to make our mind up whether we wanted to stay hurdling or go chasing but I'd say we'll be staying hurdling with him for now."

Nicholls had earlier suffered a surprising reverse when the highly-touted Rippling Ring flopped at odds of 8/15 in the opening intercasino.co.uk Handicap.

The South African import travelled sweetly but found nothing under pressure and trailed home fifth behind the impressive winner French Opera (5/1)

Nicholls said: "It's disappointing when they run like that without apparently any excuses."

Nigel Twiston-Davies was another trainer in double form with both Fundamentalist (7/2) and The Hollow Bottom (13/2) obliging at Aintree.

The latter had not been seen since landing the Yachties Bars Handicap Chase 12 months ago and advertised his trainer's talents by following up with a seven-length defeat of Osako D'Airy.