Kalif Du Berlais impresses with Cheltenham strike

Kalif Du Berlais got Paul Nicholls’ new year off to a blistering start with a bloodless display in the opening Sonic The Hedgehog 3 In Cinemas Now Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

Some of the Ditcheat handler’s string had failed to sparkle over the Christmas period, including Regent’s Stroll who was a beaten favourite in the same colours of part-owner Sir Alex Ferguson at Newbury last Saturday.

However, there were no such problems for the 4-7 favourite Kalif Du Berlais, who readily dispatched his two rivals under a motionless Harry Cobden to build on his chasing victory in the autumn.

Cobden told Racing TV: “We have always liked him a lot and he was very lucky not to hurt himself at Carlisle the first time when he had a terrible fall at the ditch.

“Today the plan was to take a lead but I didn’t think we were going overly quick, so I just let him bowl away and I thought his jumping was fantastic.

“He doesn’t ride like a five-year-old and he’s just turned that today. Everything was very assured and never really in any doubt.

“We have plenty of options of where we can go and he will definitely get two and a half miles. But he’s only five isn’t he, so he probably doesn’t want tons of mileage on the clock at a young age. We’re lucky to have him.”

Diva Luna (5-4 favourite) bravely repelled the challenge of Newton Tornado to win the Richmond Villages And Bupa Care Homes Maiden Hurdle.

Trained by Ben Pauling and ridden by Kielan Woods, Diva Luna was a Grade Two bumper winner at Aintree but suffered a surprise reverse when beaten on her hurdles bow last month.

The six-year-old made amends with a gutsy performance, digging deep after jumping the last to hold on for a one-and-three-quarter-length verdict which saw her cut to 14-1 from 25s with Paddy Power for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival in March.