Nickle Back galloped to a memorable Grade One victory in the Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown following a bold front-running ride from James Best.

It was a fairytale first success at elite level for the jockey and West Wratting trainer Sarah Humphrey, although the race was marred by a fatal fall for Hermes Allen at the second-last.

Best and 10-1 shot Nickle Back established a healthy lead in the early stages, with 8-13 favourite Hermes Allen heading the chasing pack.

Some exuberant leaps allowed the pacesetter to extend his advantage to fully 20 lengths with three to jump and he was again foot-perfect at the Pond Fence.

After Nickle Back bounded clear from two out, Djelo clawed back some of his lead up the stiff home stretch but Best’s mount was not for catching, prevailing by seven lengths,

“I just cannot believe it,” Best told ITV Racing. “As a small child growing up, you watch these races on the television on a Saturday and you dream of becoming a jockey and winning races like this.

“A massive thank you to Sarah and all the team, I’m just gobsmacked, as I was when winning on him in his first chase at Warwick.

“For them to put their faith in me on this wonderful horse, it means so much and I just can’t believe it.

“He was a bit brave early on and that kind of twisted my arm second time down the back – for goodness sake, just go with him!

“He loves galloping and he loves jumping, so just get a breather when I could.

“Congratulations to Sarah, as she has done a wonderful job with this horse, who is quite fragile and not easy to train.”

It Etait Temps completed a dream hour for Danny Mullins when winning the Goffs Irish Arkle at Leopardstown, where Marine Nationale was a huge disappointment back in fifth place.

Having already won the opening two Grade Ones on Dancing City and Kargese, Mullins was riding full of confidence, but faced huge opposition in the shape of Barry Connell’s unbeaten Marine Nationale – not to mention Facile Vega, a stablemate of the Willie Mullins-trained winner.

It was Gordon Elliott’s Found A Fifty who ensured there was to be no hanging about and with Facile Vega on his heels, there was no letting up in the pace.

Sent off the 4-7 favourite, Marine Nationale had been settled in third, but his jumping was not as assured as on his debut and Il Etait Temps moved passed him down the back straight.

As the field turned in Marine Nationale briefly threatened to take a hand, but a bad mistake at the last sealed his fate.

Found A Fifty looked like he had done enough to hold on, but Il Etait Temps gamely dug in to win by a neck at 6-1.

The winner is now 5-1 from 14s for the Arkle at Cheltenham.

El Fabiolo is out to confirm his position as the leading two-mile chaser in training when he lines up in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Winner of the Irish Arkle at this meeting 12 months ago when he was overlooked by Paul Townend in favour of Appreciate It, he went on to confirm the big impression he made that day at Cheltenham.

Up against Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon, the only horse to beat him since joining Willie Mullins, he came out well on top.

The pair were due to clash again in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot two weeks ago but the meeting was abandoned due to frost and Mullins swerved the rearranged race at Cheltenham last week, leaving Jonbon seemingly with a penalty kick, only for him to fluff his lines.

Mullins will be hoping the same fate does not befall his seven-year-old this weekend when he faces stiff opposition from within his own camp, three runners all owned by JP McManus – the improving mare Dinoblue, Gentleman De Mee and Saint Roi.

“El Fabiolo was supposed to go to England and then the Clarence House was rerouted to Cheltenham and we said we’d skip that and come to the Dublin Racing Festival,” said Mullins.

“He’s in great form. Dinoblue is a mare that’s improving all the time and then Gentleman De Mee’s there, he will also give a good account of himself and he likes this track. It’s shaping up to be a hot race, it’s not a foregone conclusion.”

El Fabiolo is the star among owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede’s ‘double green’ team but their racing manager Anthony Bromley is also taking nothing for granted.

“Dinoblue and Gentleman De Mee are really strong opposition and it is certainly not going to be easy,” said Bromley.

“The ground should be fine, he’s a course and distance winner and rated to win it, but I was hugely impressed by Dinoblue at Christmas in proper soft ground and there could be a big danger there.

“Let’s hope we can just get through it and then plan for Cheltenham. He is our big hope for Sunday and the weekend really.”

The only non-Mullins runner in the race is Henry de Bromhead’s Captain Guinness, who was desperately disappointing behind Dinoblue at Christmas and has frequently come up just short in Grade Ones in the past.

The Dublin Racing Festival began as many expected with a Willie Mullins-trained winner, but not with the one most predicted, as complete outsider Dancing City beat favourite Predators Gold in the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle.

With Paul Townend plumping for Predators Gold from the four Mullins runners, punters took that as a clear hint he was seen as the number one contender, despite stepping up six furlongs in trip from his Christmas outing.

Townend settled the market leader at the rear, as Danny Mullins on Dancing City (16-1) set out to make the running at a sedate tempo, but Rachael Blackmore was having none of it and after half a mile Jetara was allowed to stride on.

Blackmore had a scary moment approaching the second last when she lost her left stirrup but was soon back on an even keel, although the Mullins pair loomed up on the turn for home.

Predators Gold had every chance on the outside but Dancing City kept on finding for pressure and went on to win by a length and a quarter. To Jetara’s credit, she stuck on gamely for third.

Former Irish Derby fourth Peking Opera made a successful start to his jumping career with a solid win at Sandown.

The son of Galileo was bought for 100,000 guineas after also scoring in Listed company for Aidan O’Brien and was sent off the 13-8 joint-favourite for the Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places Novices’ Hurdle.

Niall Houlihan had his mount tucked in behind front-runner Glengolly for much of the way and his jumping was smooth.

Peking Opera was almost forced to push on when a big gap opened up on the inside entering the home straight and quickly took control of proceedings.

Fellow market leader The Good Doctor threw down a challenge between the final two flights but was giving his rival 22lb in weight and was readily seen off on the run-in, going down by a length and three-quarters.

Winning trainer Gary Moore told Racing TV: “I expected him to run very, very well, but I’ve had two good horses beaten in this race over the last two years, so that did worry me.

“He’s a very lazy work horse at home and I couldn’t believe he was a different horse on the track. You could work him with a donkey at home and he’d just work with it.

“He’s always loved his jumping though, the more we’ve schooled him, the better he’s enjoyed it, so I think it’s turned him round.

“Niall was told not to hit the front until the last and he had to hit the front early, so it’s a good result.

“I brought him to a stiff track because I thought that would suit him on his Flat form, but I’m just going to change things now and I think he’s got the pace to go for the Adonis (Kempton, February 24).”

The JCB Triumph Hurdle would then be the ultimate target, but Peking Opera was pushed out to 33-1 from 20-1 by Betfair for Cheltenham Festival glory.

Willie Mullins’ ever reliable State Man looks to retain his crown in the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle against a familiar rival in Impaire Et Passe.

Since falling on his Irish debut, the seven-year-old has met with defeat just once in his last 10 outings for the Closutton maestro, when beaten by Constitution Hill in last year’s Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

His record includes seven Grade One wins and he was a four-and-three-quarter-length victor in this event 12 months ago when defeating the great Honeysuckle.

State Man’s two runs this season have both been convincing wins, as he took the Morgiana Hurdle and the Matheson Hurdle, the latter over stablemate Impaire Et Passe.

However, Mullins said of his runners: “State Man will have to turn up in the health he was in at Christmas, even better really, because Impaire Et Passe is improving all the time.

“I think conditions might suit Impaire Et Passe as well – and then you have Bob Olinger, who was very impressive in Cheltenham.

“He takes his chance here as well and he’s a good horse. Echoes In Rain we run as well, she’ll have her chance. It’s going to be a tip-top race, I think.”

Impaire Et Passe is owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede and has made a good start to life in the open division after winning the Ballymore at Cheltenham and the Champion Novice at Punchestown last season.

Anthony Bromley, racing manager to the owners, said of his chances: “Impaire Et Passe will run against State Man and will have his work cut out.

“I have huge respect for Bob Olinger in that race also and coming back in trip, he could be a big danger for us in terms of getting second place. It’s a small field but an exciting race.

“Daryl will ride him again and we will then make decisions on what we will do next, as he is entered in the Champion Hurdle and the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. We will see how we get on this Sunday.”

Bob Olinger looked back to his best last time out with a seven-length win in the Relkeel Hurdle, a run that came after a winning debut this term in the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan.

Henry de Bromhead said of the nine-year-old: “It’s great to see him coming back to himself, we’re delighted with him, he seems in good form.

“We’re in the Irish Champion Hurdle, it’s going to be a very good race and we’ll all learn something.”

There is a sole entrant from Gordon Elliott’s yard in Fils D’oudairies, who completes the field.

Ballyburn bids to continue the recent domination of Willie Mullins in the Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.

The champion trainer has saddled 10 of the last 11 winners of this Grade One event, with Gordon Elliott’s Samcro the only outlier on a roll of honour that features four other subsequent Cheltenham heroes in Vautour (2014), Klassical Dream (2019), Appreciate It (2021) and Sir Gerhard (2022).

Dual bumper winner Ballyburn was beaten by Firefox on his hurdling debut at Fairyhouse but was hugely impressive at the second attempt when scoring by 25 lengths at this venue over the Christmas period.

The six-year-old is prominent in ante-posts lists for both the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March and his target is likely to become clearer after he drops back in trip from two-and-a-half to two miles this weekend.

Ballyburn might not have things all his own way, with Elliott’s Farren Glory and the Henry de Bromhead-trained Slade Steel among his rivals.

Farren Glory is already a Grade One winner having landed the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse, and he may well have doubled his top-level tally in the inaugural running of the Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree on Boxing Day but for suffering a crashing fall two flights from home.

Slade Steel has so far won a maiden hurdle at Naas and the Grade Two Navan Novice Hurdle and steps up in class for the hat-trick bid in the hands of Rachael Blackmore.

“Slade Steel hasn’t put a foot wrong this season. He won his maiden hurdle over two miles at Naas in November, and he stepped up in trip last time and won the Grade Two Navan Novice Hurdle over two and a half miles,” said the jockey,

“This is back over two miles again, it’s another step up in grade into a Grade One race, and it looks like a high-quality race. Ballyburn looked very good in winning at Leopardstown at Christmas and Farren Glory won the Royal Bond Hurdle and was travelling like a winner at Aintree when he fell.

“But we’re very happy with Slade Steel. He came out of the Navan race really well, and we’re hoping he can run another big race here.”

Mullins allows three of his star novices to do battle in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase, with Gaelic Warrior, Fact To File and Grangeclare West all declared.

The Closutton handler raised the possibility of Gaelic Warrior dropping back in trip for a mouthwatering clash with Marine Nationale in Saturday’s Irish Arkle earlier in the week, but he instead goes over the longer distance of two miles and five and half furlongs 24 hours later.

That is not to say he has taken the easy option, however, with his stablemates Fact To File and Grangeclare West both having impressed at Leopardstown on their most recent starts.

It promises to be an informative contest with the Cheltenham Festival in mind, as Gaelic Warrior is a hot favourite for the Turners Novices’ Chase, while Fact To File and Grangeclare West are the top two in the betting for the Brown Advisory.

The Coolmore N.H. Sires “Hurricane Lane” Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race brings the Dublin Racing Festival to a close and once again Mullins possesses a strong hand, with Aurora Vega leading a four-strong assault.

Out of the brilliant racemare Quevega and a full-sister to Facile Vega, the daughter of Walk In The Park is three from three in the bumper sphere and will be a warm order to extend her unbeaten record in the hands of record-breaking amateur Patrick Mullins.

Cinderella’s Dream emerged as a potential Qipco 1000 Guineas contender after maintaining her unbeaten record with a thoroughly impressive victory in the Jumeirah Fillies Classic at Meydan.

One of four winners on the card for trainer Charlie Appleby and the first leg of a treble for jockey William Buick, the the Shamardal filly had won her first two starts at a fairly low-key level at Lingfield and Thirsk in September.

However, she looks more than ready to hold her own in better company judged on a dominant comeback victory in a race won 12 months ago by Saeed bin Suroor’s subsequent Guineas heroine Mawj.

“She was there for me the whole way and is still learning on the job, having only had two previous runs before this evening,” said Buick.

“But once I put her in between horses, it was just about trying to follow the right ones and she was there instantly. It was a very nice performance from a filly who I think is progressing.

“Mawj won this race last and she ended up winning the next round of this series and then won the 1000 Guineas, so she’s in good company.

“I think she’s going to progress, so I wouldn’t want to rule anything out.”

Appleby and Buick also successfully combined in the Listed Dubai Sprint with Mischief Magic.

The Exceed And Excel gelding was a winner at the 2022 Breeders’ Cup meeting but endured a largely disappointing three-year-old campaign last season and Buick is hoping he might be able to rediscover his best form following this clear-cut success.

He added: “I knew I had plenty of horse and I knew the gap would eventually be there for him. When you look through his form as a two-year-old, that’s how he was always ridden and don’t forget he’s a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner, so the quality is there.

“Let’s hope he’s on the way to reaching those heights again. We all know how tough it can be for a three-year-old sprinter, so hopefully he’s strengthened up and he’s more the finished article.”

Appleby made it a treble in the Dubai Millennium Stakes, but it was his apparent second string Warren Point who upset his better fancied stablemate New London to secure Group Three honours.

The winner was still nearer last than first approaching the final furlong, but fairly flew home under an ice-cool Mickael Barzalona to deny Jamie Osborne’s Sean by a short head.

Osborne also saddled the third-placed Solid Stone, with 4-6 favourite New London only fourth.

Barzalona said: “The horse did very well as he was a bit strong at the beginning. I had the chance to come wide, but I thought it was a bit too early to come around the horses, so I tried to go on the inside and I was stuck. He was able to pick up to win it and he’s a talented horse.”

Winner number four for Appleby and three for Buick was provided by Legend Of Time, who readily followed up his course win of four weeks ago and justified cramped odds in the Jumeirah Guineas.

“He’s a horse who has only improved, he won the trial for this race very well over seven furlongs and we always thought he was going to improve for stepping up to a mile tonight,” said the jockey.

“I think he’s progressing the whole time and hopefully he’s a nice horse in the making. His ability enables him to win over shorter distances, but I think we’ll see the best of him over 10 furlongs.

Asked whether Legend Of Time could develop into a Derby contender, Buick added: “It’s hard to stand here in early February and say that, but we hope so. That’s what these horses are here to do, so let’s hope he can make those necessary steps to put himself in that picture.”

Michael Owen emulated his old Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson by welcoming home a winner in Bahrain as Roman Dragon surprised connections in the Hawar Cup.

Ferguson saw Spirit Dancer continue his rise through the ranks in November when winning the Bahrain International Trophy and while Roman Emperor was not winning at that exalted level, it clearly meant just as much to the former Liverpool and England striker.

While Roman Dragon is far from the best horse Owen has owned, the fact that he also bred him means he has a soft spot for the sprinter, who before this had only ever won at Chester.

Ridden by Ebrahim Nader, he came with a powerful late run to beat John and Sean Quinn’s Brazen Bolt by half a length.

“We’re absolutely delighted. He has got speed to burn but we often think he’s better round a turning track than a straight track, so today is a lovely surprise,” said Owen.

“We thought beforehand Box To Box (unplaced in the Anchorman Cup) would be in the first three and this horse (Roman Dragon) would be in the last three, but it happened the other way round!

“Me and Nick (Hughes) own the horse; I bred him and we’ve owned him all his life.

“It’s my first time here and I am really enjoying it. My old boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, was stood here not so long ago having won the big race, the Bahrain International Trophy, so it’s clearly a lucky spot.”

The Listed His Royal Highness Prince Salman Bin Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa Cup went to George Scott’s Isle Of Jura, ridden by Callum Shepherd.

“He’s a lovely horse and he’s clearly improving,” said Scott.

“He’s bred to be a good horse and the sky is the limit with him, although we will just enjoy today first.

“It’s well documented that His Highness Shaikh Nasser (owner) has been a huge supporter of mine and to repay him in this way is so exciting.”