Rubaud returns to the scene of one of his finest hours in pursuit of further riches in the Jennings Bet Kingwell Hurdle on Saturday.

Paul Nicholls’ six-year-old has won six of his 11 starts over the smaller obstacles and struck at Wincanton in the Elite Hurdle earlier in the season, his fourth win in a row.

Since then he has faced the mammoth task of taking on Constitution Hill at Kempton in the Christmas Hurdle and also had the misfortune of bumping into an imperious Lossiemouth at Cheltenham in the Unibet Hurdle.

He now returns to what appears slightly easier company and despite the champion trainer having some concerns about conditions, he heads to the Somerset venue as the highest rated in the field.

“He’s been a very consistent horse, but the ground would be a slight worry to me,” said Nicholls.

“He did run very well as a novice on soft ground at Kempton on Boxing Day, but most of his form has been on good ground.

“He’s a bit stronger now, but he enjoys right-handed and an easy two miles. Our intention is to go here and then one more run later down the line, nothing fancy, then he will be going chasing. That’s when you will see the best of him.”

Rubaud had Lorna Fowler’s Colonel Mustard three lengths adrift when they finished first and second in last season’s Scottish Champion Hurdle and the duo are set to lock horns yet again as chasing ambitions are finally put to one side for the Irish raider.

“I think his time over fences is not going to bear the fruits we hoped, but we had a go at chasing because his mark is high enough over hurdles,” said Fowler.

“We decided after Newbury to revert back to hurdles and have always had the Kingwell as sort of a plan from then.

“I’m very happy with the horse and hopefully he will travel OK – he usually does. He does have a massive weight turn around with Rubaud from when they met at Ayr, Rubaud is undoubtedly an improving horse and Mustard will certainly have to bring his A game to be able to beat him.”

Colonel Mustard is no stranger to trips to the UK having placed at the Cheltenham Festival in 2022 and also going close at Ascot and Kelso – as well as Ayr – in the past.

Fowler would have preferred better conditions for this latest raid across the Irish Sea, but with over £41,000 on offer to the winner, she feels it is a risk well worth taking.

She went on: “The ground is not really what I want, but then I’m not sure it’s what any of them want and Wincanton have put on some very good prize-money. I have UK-based owners and we’re all keen to have a go and we think it’s a good opportunity and worth a shot.

“Colonel Mustard hasn’t run for a while and is back over hurdles, but he did have a schooling race at Thurles a few weeks ago and hopefully he is in the zone to run his best race.”

Nigel Twiston-Davies won this with the ill-fated I Like To Move It last year and attempts to go back-to-back with Guard Your Dreams, while Gary Moore also has fond memories of the race and returns dual-winner Goshen to Wincanton sporting first-time blinkers.

The field of five is rounded off by Kerry Lee’s Nemean Lion who the handler says is in “great form” as he prepares to drop back in trip after a brave second in Kempton’s Lanzarote Hurdle.

Rubaud brought up a fabulous Wincanton four-timer for Paul Nicholls with a dominant display in the JenningsBet Elite Hurdle.

Sent off the 1-2 favourite in the hands of Harry Cobden, the five-year-old was always to the fore and dealt with the brief challenge of Gary Moore’s Hansard with the minimum of fuss to run out a four-and-a-quarter-length winner.

It was Rubaud’s fourth successive victory having thrived at Kempton on his reappearance and he now looks set for a potential clash with Constitution Hill at the Sunbury track in the Christmas Hurdle.

“He is just improving rapidly,” said Nicholls. “He goes a gallop, he jumps and he quickens. He sprinted away from the back of the last there and you wouldn’t know what is in the back of the tank. We like improving horses like that.

“It was a nice race at Kempton Park and he has improved since then. I loved the way he quickened over the back of the second last after he winged that. I could see Harry was sat in front just waiting.

“The plan is to go to the Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day then come back here for the Kingwell after Christmas. When they start improving, you don’t know where they will end up and the Christmas Hurdle will give us a marker where we are.

“Someone has got to take Constitution Hill on. We will go there and if we finished second we will be delighted.

“He will be a lovely two-mile chaser next season. We will just pick our races this season with him.”

Knappers Hill proved a fitting winner for the champion trainer as he carried the famous colours of Nicholls’ late landlord and great friend Paul Barber to victory in the Boodles “Rising Stars” Novices’ Chase.

The seven-year-old is now owned by Barber’s sons, Chris and Giles, in partnership with Paul Vogt and last year’s Elite Hurdle winner produced an exceptional display to open his account over fences and score on the card for the second year running.

The victory enhanced the trainer’s exceptional record in the race, with Betfair cutting Knappers Hill to 20-1 from 33-1 for the Turners Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Nicholls said: “It is great that all of Paul’s family are here today. Paul would have been proud of that. He has been so good to me, and I’ve missed him a lot this year. He left a big hole in my life. This has been the target, to try to win this.

“I’m a bit emotional really as Paul would have loved that. He loved that horse as well. He went to see him every day. To see him win in his colours, he would have absolutely loved that. That was brilliant.

“We purchased him together at the Goffs Land Rover (stores) sale and he has just never stopped winning. He will run in Paul’s colours this season which is brilliant. The boys will love this.”

Nicholls suggested Newbury’s Coral John Francome Novices’ Chase on December 1 as a possible next port of call.

The Ditcheat handler got on the scoreboard in the very first race when Meatloaf took the EBF Stallions “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle in taking fashion.

A bumper winner at the track in the spring, this was the perfect hurdling bow and his handler believes he could be a Grade One operator before the season ends.

Nicholls said: ““He is a smart horse and I like him a lot. He won two races last season, and he was not beaten not far at Cheltenham (on New Year’s Day). He will get better with experience.

“He is sharp and two miles is fine for him. He might even progress to run at Aintree in that Grade One (Formby Novices’ Hurdle on Boxing Day).”

Nicholls’ afternoon got even better in the Boodles Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Chase when Huelgoat wore down 3-1 favourite Enjoy Your Life.

It continued a fine weekend for conditional rider Freddie Gingell, who won Friday’s Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter, and the champion trainer was eager to praise the young jockey.

He said: “He was on the floor at the cross fence, but it ended up being a good result. Freddie gave him a super ride. I’ve sort of aimed him at this race.”

Nicholls was denied a five-timer when Fergal O’Brien’s 7-2 favourite Horaces Pearl edged out Ditcheat’s Roman Roy in the concluding Join The Harry Fry Racing Syndicate Open National Hunt Flat Race, while Anthony Honeyball supplemented his victory in the feature Badger Beer Chase by claiming the JenningsBet Richard Barber Memorial Mares’ Handicap Hurdle with 18-1 shot Good Luck Charm.

Harry Cobden expects Rubaud to prove difficult to beat in Saturday’s West Country Weekend Elite Hurdle at Wincanton.

The Paul Nicholls-trained five-year-old had a progressive profile last season, which ended with him winning the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr.

He showed there could be more to come this term when winning first time out in Listed company at Kempton last month, when connections expected him to need the run, and Cobden feels that bar Constitution Hill, Rubaud could take some stopping on his side of the Irish Sea.

“Rubaud is in good form after winning at Kempton the other day. The handicapper put him up 9lb for that, but you would want a good one to get by him here I would say,” said Cobden.

“He was impressive when he won the Scottish Champion Hurdle last season, but he was only running off a mark of 135 then. Now he is up to 150 and hopefully he can run up to that mark.

“I can’t think of too many horses in this country that would beat him in this division in Britain apart from Constitution Hill.

“He would struggle to lay a glove on Constitution Hill, but someone has got to win these races and we might as well keep him in this division and win as much as we can.”

Cobden went on: “He needed his first run as he hadn’t been away for a gallop. The runner-up at Kempton (Too Friendly) was race-fit and Rubaud was fresh.

“He can take a chance at his hurdles and the only thing I would say about his Kempton run was that he was bit low at the odd one, but he got away with it.

“That run will have taken the gas out of him and he is a horse that really wants it and he will stick his head out for you. He has got a nice way of galloping, and he has a nice low head carriage.”

Scottish Champion Hurdle hero Rubaud made a successful start to his campaign with a front-running victory in the Trustatrader Approved And Reviewed Trades People Hurdle at Kempton.

The five-year-old had won four of his seven previous starts for champion trainer Paul Nicholls, including Grade Two triumphs in the Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at this track in February and on his most recent outing at Ayr in April.

With Harry Cobden in the saddle, Rubaud was sent off at 2-1 for his reappearance and proceeded to lead his rivals a merry dance from flag-fall on his way to a near three-length victory.

Too Friendly was best of the rest in second, with 13-8 favourite First Street third and Alan King’s popular veteran Sceau Royal – seeking a third straight win in this Listed event – back in fourth.

Nicholls said of the winner: “I thought he would improve (for the run), but to compete at this sort of level he had to improve as at the weights he had a tough old task from last year, but he has gone and done that.

“I thought beforehand he looked big enough for his first run of the season so he will improve. He will now go to Wincanton in three weeks’ time for the Elite Hurdle. That was always the plan to come here and then go to Wincanton as it suits him to go right-handed.”

Looking further down the line, Rubaud could return to Kempton on Boxing Day for a potential clash with the mighty Constitution Hill.

Nicholls added: “We will probably run him in the Christmas Hurdle as someone has got to finish second to Nicky’s (Henderson) horse, and it is good prize-money.

“We will stay hurdling and go chasing next autumn as he is only five. He is a good level hurdler and we can choose our races with him and then go chasing next autumn.

“The two Grade Two races, the one in a few weeks, and the one in February (Kingwell Hurdle) will suit him quite well.”