Paul Nicholls hailed Regent’s Stroll as “the apple of my eye” ahead of his first real test in the Coral Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday.

Unbeaten in two bumpers and very impressive on his hurdling debut at the same track, he faces a different quality of opposition in this Grade 1 contest.

Nicholls admits he would have preferred to have given the five-year-old more experience before stepping up to the highest level, but he rates an exciting prospect.

“He’s the apple of my eye and won his two bumpers last season in style before making a winning debut over hurdles at this track a month ago by nine and a half lengths despite walking through the second-last flight,” Nicholls told Betfair.

“Ideally I’d like to have given Regent’s Stroll another race for experience before tackling this Grade One contest, but he looks great, has done lots of jumping at home and two and a half miles on good to soft is perfect for him. He has a big future.”

His main market rival comes from the yard of Nicholls’ former assistant Dan Skelton.

The New Lion has oozed class in winning a bumper and twice over hurdles and Skelton would not swap him for any of the others.

“He looks great, and this is a race we’ve looked at for a while. At home, I’m happy with him and he’s jumped nicely,” he told Ladbrokes.

“I don’t want to talk about the others, really; there’s some good horses in that race, but I’m concentrating on my own.

“We’re really happy with him – it’s going to be a difficult one to win, of course, but I wouldn’t swap him for anyone in the field.”

Bill Joyce beat another well-regarded Nicholls novice in Quebecois in a Grade 2 at Sandown last time out but AJ O’Neill, who trains in partnership with his father Jonjo, admitted he would prefer softer ground.

“We were very happy with the run at Sandown, he ran a lovely race,” he said.

“We’re looking forward to seeing him out again but he could probably do with a drop more rain. That is the one thing we can’t control unfortunately.

“He’s a lovely horse, to be fair – a big, strong horse. He’s keen enough early, but I’m not sure how much faster he can go in the early stages – he thinks he’s got loads of speed, but I think he might be wrong! Hopefully we won’t have to find out.”

Ben Pauling’s It’s Hard To Know is another defending an unbeaten record over timber while the fact Joe Tizzard’s First Confession and the Jamie Snowden-trained Wendigo, both winners last time out, are available at big prices advertises the strength in depth in the race.

Pauling feels his runner is a worthy each-way candidate.

“He’s in really good order with himself, he’s a horse I like and while he isn’t flashy at home, while he’s only run in midweek races, they’ve had plenty of depth to them,” said Pauling.

“He’s won them relatively straightforwardly, hopefully in a better race he’ll get a lead off one or two, he goes there in good form and I’d say he is a lively outsider.”

Challow Hurdle betting forecast: 6/4 The New Lion, 2 Regent's Stroll, 4 Bill Joyce, 14 It's Hard To Know, 16 Wendigo, 22 First Confession, 50 Electric Mason.