Fella takes Sky Bet honours

Trainer Paul Nicholls landed another big payday when Big Fella Thanks stormed to victory in the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster.

The 9/2 chance was settled down the field by Christian Williams as market rival According To Pete set out to make all the running.

But the 7/2 favourite made several minor mistakes on only his fourth start over fences and the game was up early in the straight as the Ditcheat raider cruised into contention.

The rangy gelding quickly put daylight between himself and the chasing pack headed by Native Coral, but that horse's run petered out and Williams drove his charge right out for an 11-length triumph.

Last year's runner-up Ungaro stayed on strongly from two out to fill the same position ahead of the tiring Native Coral, with According To Pete plugging on in fourth.

"He was a maiden over fences until today. We ran him in a handicap at Kempton last time and we thought he would nearly win that day, but he unseated his rider in the race won by Fleet Street," said Nicholls' assistant Dan Skelton.

"He's in the four-miler at Cheltenham and that's where he'll go now. He didn't face up to the blinkers once and he'd been running up against some good rivals in novice company. Four miles and a big field would suit him.

"Paul Barber bought him from Tom Costello in Ireland as a store horse and he won an Irish point-to-point.

"He won two novice hurdles for us, we couldn't win a novice chase with him, but he's won this handicap instead."

Williams was subsequently hit with a five-day suspension after being found guilty of using the whip with excessive frequency on a horse that was clearly winning.

The race was hit by nine non-runners before the start owing to the tiring nature of the ground.