Nigel Twiston-Davies’ I Like To Move It continued his love affair with Cheltenham’s old course when carrying top-weight to victory in the Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham on Sunday.

Twice a winner over this course and distance last autumn, he won the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices’ Hurdle on this card 12 months ago and was always to the fore on this occasion in the hands of Sam Twiston-Davies.

Only five flights of hurdles were jumped throughout the two-mile handicap with low sun signalling the removal of the timber in the home straight and it was the winner and the Paul Nicholls-trained Sonigino who led them along in the early stages that were devoid of any jumping tests.

The hurdling began down the back where I Like To Move It continued to dictate the pace and the five-year-old was still galloping strongly when 4/1 favourite Gin Coco moved stealthily into contention approaching what would be the final flight.

The duo pulled clear as the lung-busting run up the Cheltenham hill ensued, but the locally-trained winner soon edged ahead and was always in command in the closing stages as he landed the £100,000 feature.

Twiston-Davies said: “Absolutely superb – 12 stone round there. Taking the hurdles out didn’t help him. He was awesome.

“Sam was very positive on him. He would definitely like softer ground and he definitely stays the two miles very well. He was unlucky in the Betfair. He is a proper horse.

“The International Hurdle here (is next) – he is following the footsteps of a very good horse we had, Garden Dreams. The New One used to frequent this race. It looks quite busy, the Champion Hurdle, but that is the idea at the moment. I’ve never been afraid of anything.

“His jumping is always good, but there wasn’t much of it today. It was absolutely fine. He is a chaser in the making and he jumps really well – he is not a hurdler.

“It is no mean feat (to carry the weight), but he has that weight because he is the best horse, so I was never too worried about the weight, it was just I preferred softer ground.”

He ran down the field in the County Hurdle last season, and Twiston-Davies added: “He is only five and biologically, he was only just four. He was a late foal and it was one race too many for him last season and he’s come back better and stronger this season.

“You worry about the ground. We had three that ran the first day and they came back absolutely fine. They watered again. Of course it is a worry. Statistically you are more likely to do damage on faster ground but it wasn’t fast – it was good. Even then, if it has a bit of soft in it, statistically you are safer.

“He is very much in the bracket of The New One. Let’s hope he can be better if he keeps improving, but it is a hell of an ask, isn’t it?”

Simple task

Nube Negra took a penalty kick in his stride to land the three-runner Shloer Chase at odds of 1/10.

Dan Skelton’s exciting prospect had little opposition after Arkle Trophy winner Edwardstone was withdrawn, and under an armchair ride from Harry Skelton took the two-mile Grade 2 contest by an easy eight lengths.

Fans of the eight-year-old, who was runner-up in the Queen Mother Champion Chase last year, may have a long wait before seeing him again, however.

Plans are to either run in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton or keep him fresh until March, where the trainer feels they have “unfinished business”.

Skelton said: “I am just happy to get it out of the way. When you are 10/1 on you have everything to lose and nothing to gain.

“He should have done what he did. What have we learned? Well, nothing, really. I don’t think you are going to learn anything from it. It is a shame the race had cut up for the racecourse, the fans, the sponsors, but that is racing.

“We had to withdraw at the Festival because of unusual (ground) conditions. A few have had to withdraw this time because of unusual conditions. That is how sport is sometimes. We got our conditions today and we’d have loved to have had a bit of a fight, but that didn’t materialise – I’m sure it will later in the year, but that got the season off to a perfect start.”

He added: “He has come back as well as I have ever had him. To be fair, he is a very easy horse to train in the respect that he gives you so much, but what happens is sometimes you can over-stretch the band with him and that is why he has always been so good fresh in the past.

“Today has been a canter round, so I don’t think today is one of those days that takes so much out of him, but that is why in the past you have not seen him so much, because he puts so much into everything he does, you can’t go to the well too often.

“I’m stone cold on the possibility of going to the Tingle Creek. We have been there a few times and we have learned that it doesn’t work and if he does go anywhere it will be Kempton, but I need to have a serious talk with Terry (Spraggett, owner).

“Obviously we harbour major ambitions for here in March. We were second last year, two renewals ago, and feel we have some unfinished business.

“As you well know, he can only do it if the ground is in his favour.”

Kempton could be on the cards, although Skelton defended any decision to run the horse sparingly.

He said: “The serious race for him is the Desert Orchid – that is the only one between here and now – but I have got to talk to Terry. It wouldn’t be something we decide today or commit to until we really have to.

“It is putting eggs in one basket, but we are apparently in an era where horses can only run three times a year. That is not an apparent thing – that is the reality.

“Everyone has to understand that horses can only give their best that much a year. Now, if you go round like that at 10/1 on, obviously you can give a lot more, because that is not taking much out of them.

“Next week, with Protektorat against A Plus Tard (in the Betfair Chase at Haydock), you start trying to take on the Gold Cup-winning team and tell me that is not going to take a lot out of you and it will take a good six weeks to get over it, that is the truth.

“We are not in a time where trainers are being over-protective, we are at a time, where, I believe, we are trying to peak our horses for the big races at the appropriate times. So, it is really hard to do. It not us moaning and complaining and don’t want to turn up – it is just really hard to do.

“When you go there and you are not prepared you get an even harder race and it is even harder to get over.

“Protektorat is prepared. He has been away three times, has been to the grass gallop and has had an away day – he is prepared and needs to be.

“We know we have got to make up ground on A Plus Tard. How do we make that up? He’s a young horse, has not had many goes at the trip and hopefully a more suitable track for him – we have got to try and give it a go. If they are well and if they are prepared and ready, I’m not going to duck it. I’m not afraid to do it, but we will always do it if we get the best build-up. We can’t do it if we get a slack build-up.”