There cannot be many days when Paul Nicholls saddles two beaten favourites at Cheltenham and then admits to being “astounded” when he finds himself in the winner’s enclosure.

But it was that sort of day at Cheltenham on Saturday and Nicholls was not the only trainer left scratching his head.  

Some winning trainers have been known to explain that a victory is a result of precision planning, even when that was not the case, but Nicholls was too busy contemplating the comeback by Taranis from a 766-day injury layoff to win the Grade Two Argento Chase to rely on such a ruse.  

At the start of the week Nicholls was going to run Denman, then changed his mind, and by the start of the race Ruby Walsh had elected to ride promising novice Inchidaly Rock. He no doubt wished he had changed his mind also because Inchidaly Rock came down at the ninth and then Walsh watched as Taranis, an unconsidered 16-1 shot, cruised into contention on the home turn.

His young jockey Nick Schofield remembered the advice that Walsh had given and waited until jumping the last to push six lengths clear of Carruthers and nudge Taranis onto the Nicholls team for the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup in March. “I’m just astounded,” Nicholls said. “We just wanted to see a good run but you never know how much brilliance they’ve retained until they run. When you have a horse like that, with bad legs, they have to be super-fit but he’s bound to come on a little bit. We’ve not been able to hard gallop him. All we’ve been able to do is loads and loads of steady work.

“He had a bad breakdown on his off-fore in the King George two years ago and we just pray to God that he’s alright in the morning. Then we just have to keep nursing, keeping him fit and get him back here in March.”

Whether Taranis can get into the private argument between stable companions Kauto Star and Denman remains to be seen because beating Carruthers in receipt of 6lbs is some way short of the gold standard. Even his top-rated performance before his injury, which put him on a handicap rating of 162, would leave him with something to find.

However, his victory did open the debate over whether Nicholls could repeat his first three in the Gold Cup – from the 2008 running – or even try to match saddling the first five as Michael Dickinson did in 1983.

Nicholls has six horses entered for the Gold Cup – Kauto Star (rated 193), Denman (182), What A Friend (159), Taranis (153), My Will (150), Tricky Trickster (149) – but the likes of Imperial Commander (174), Madison Du Berlais (166), Albertas Run (164). A line can probably be struck through the name of Madison Du Berlais, who is now 0-7 at Cheltenham, and Albertas Run is a little short of top class but, assuming that both Denman and Kauto Star perform on the day, Imperial Commander – with five wins from nine starts at Cheltenham – does look capable of putting at least some of that Nicholls team in their place.    

Tidal Bay was once considered Gold Cup contender but now he is a contender for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle having won the Grade Two Betfair Cleeve Hurdle. However it may be premature to write off the chances of Lie Forrit. Having been one of the most improved horses around, rising 40lbs in the ratings off the back of four victories in five races, he ran as if he was carrying the weight of the world on his back. Campbell Gillies was working hard from halfway and had given up the unequal struggle when he pulled up Lie Forrit before the last flight.

His trainer, Willie Amos, looked like a man sifting through the wreckage of a plane crash, trying to find the clues as to what went wrong. “It was a very fast-run race, which he would usually like,” he said, still coming to terms with the moment. “I thought he’d be a longer price, because of the step up in class – he’s met just about everything except Big Buck’s here.

“It was a test, because it was a step up in class, but, from his gallops, with the work we’ve been able to get into him we felt he was flying. But he’s only had three gallops. We’ve had really extreme weather in the Borders and then we couldn’t run him in Ireland [at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting].

“He’s missed a lot of work – but he should have run better than that. Campbell just said that he never got into the race. “If he comes out of this race ok, we’ll go for the Rendlesham Hurdle, at Haydock in three weeks’ time, just to try him in the grade again. If he didn’t do it again then we’ll drop back and try the Pertemps rather than the World Hurdle. The Pertemps is looking more his race after that run,” he added, concluding. “It’s not been one of our better days.”

Given a clear run it would not be astounding to see Lie Forrit putting this run behind him.

Paul Wheeler