Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Noland sets off on road to Arkle

The Paul Nicholls-trained gelding faces only three rivals on the heavy ground but each of them is good enough to give him a test.

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Rustarix, a winner over hurdles last year, had experience of fences in France the previous season while Manhattan Boy was third to the useful Fleet Street at Leicester last time and Polinamix finished runner-up at Fontwell.

Noland, whose Cheltenham target is the Arkle Chase, usually needs his first run and was a beaten evens favourite at Wincanton on his reappearance two seasons ago before going on to beat Straw Bear at the Festival meeting.

Nicholls said: "We've got to get two runs into him before Cheltenham and he won the Tolworth Hurdle on heavy going so hopefully that won't inconvenience him.

"He has always needed his first run of the season but he has schooled very well and I am expecting a good run from him."

The trainer was disappointed that his Champion Chase hope, Twist Magic, was beaten (by Tamarinbleu) at Ascot on Saturday and he said: "In hindsight, I wish I hadn't run him. He is a better horse on better going.

"It's one thing to run on soft ground at Sandown (where he won the Tingle Creek) and quite another to get heavy ground at Ascot which is more testing. He doesn't quite get home on heavy. He will go straight to Cheltenham now."

Nicholls plans to run Neptune Collonges in the Letheby & Christopher Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday in which he will meet last year's Gold Cup runner-up Exotic Dancer on whom Barry Geraghty is likely to deputise for the injured Tony McCoy. Other possibles include Our Vic and Madison du Berlais from in-form David Pipe, trainer of Tamarinbleu.

Nicholls' Tatenen takes on Chepstow conqueror and Triumph Hurdle favourite Franchoek in the juvenile hurdle. Binocular, easy winner at Ascot on Saturday, could miss the Triumph for the Supreme Novices' as he, like Franchoek, is owned by JP McManus.

NEWMARKET are preparing to commemorate the 200th running of the 2,000 Guineas on May 3 with a lunch for previous winning jockeys, owners and trainers.

The first 2,000 Guineas was won by Wizard on April 18, 1809. The race will become the fourth Classic to reach the bicentennial landmark following the St Leger (1776), the Oaks (1779) and the Derby (1780). The remaining Classic, the 1,000 Guineas, wasn't instigated until 1814.

Most of the record holders in the 2,000 Guineas are dead, but the most successful owner is Sue Magnier with five winners — Entrepreneur (1997), King of Kings (1998), Rock of Gibraltar (2002), Footstepsinthesand (2005) and George Washington (2006).

DAVID MILNES