'The Challow would have to be in our sights' - Paul Nicholls aiming high after hurdles debutant strikes by eight lengths

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Paul Nicholls' chance of a fifth consecutive Challow Hurdle triumph received a boost after Quebecois emerged as a potential Grade 1 star with victory on his hurdling debut.

The five-year-old was last seen when well beaten in the Champion Bumper but he returned with a foot-perfect performance in the second division of the 2m3½f maiden hurdle.

The eight-length victory led Nicholls to consider charting a similar path to the Challow as his 2021 winner Stage Star, who also won this race on his hurdling debut.

"We've always liked him and we thought he'd win, but we didn't quite know what to expect past that," Nicholls said. "He jumps nicely and is a half-brother to Brindisi Breeze, so he's from a good family and he's got the right attitude.

"The Challow would have to be in our sights. When Stage Star won this we sent him to Newbury before the Challow, so I suspect we'll up Quebecois in grade and go somewhere similar in a month's time.

"He'll improve a fair bit yet with more experience. We'd like to think he's in that sort of Stage Star, Hermes Allen bracket."

Debutant delivers

Quebecois may not be the only winner on Tuesday to end up in the Challow on December 28, with the first division won by another likely candidate in the classy Dan Skelton-trained The New Lion.

Nicholls added: "If Quebecois had been in the first division it would have been an interesting race! Two smart horses won both contests."

Read more: 

'It was tough but now I'm in a good place' - Paul Nicholls raring to go with the next generation 

Find out who's in contention to run in the Paddy Power Gold Cup as well as the Greatwood Hurdle and Coral Gold Cup 

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