Nick Williams’s 12-year-old needed one of the top 40 above him to drop out – and yesterday morning Ollie Magern was found to be lame.[>
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Matters would have been simpler had owner Fergus Wilson taken out his two no-hopers, Contraband and Milan Deux Milles. They are entitled to run but whether they should is another matter.[>
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Champion trainer Paul Nicholls showed uncharacteristic anger about the participation of the pair when he said they had “absolute zero chances”. [>
It’s a disgrace and it brings racing into disrepute
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He added: “Look at the three Wilson had pulled up in the Gold Cup and the previous year when Marble Garden was tailed off in the Champion Hurdle and three days later fell in the Gold Cup. It’s a disgrace and it brings racing into disrepute.”[>