Max McNeill has had plenty of great horses race in his silks but he suspects No Drama This End has the potential to surpass them all after a brilliant success in the Betfair Winter Novices' Hurdle on day one of the Tingle Creek Festival at Sandown Park.

Trainer Paul Nicholls was originally going to go straight to the Challow Novices' Hurdle at Newbury later in the month but decided to go for this Grade Two contest as he would face just four rivals.

The five-year-old was never off the bridle, and cruised home unchallenged to win impressively by five lengths from The Blue Room.

"I can honestly say I've never been so nervous on a racecourse," an ecstatic McNeill said. "The Grand National perhaps, but I was just that nervous. We had a lovely runner in the race before but all I was thinking about was this lad.

"He won so well at the November meeting and I really wanted to see him do it again, but there was a moment on the home turn where I thought this isn't going the way we thought.

"Thankfully it was only about two seconds, and when Harry glanced between his legs down the home straight I thought maybe he is going as well as he looks. I couldn't watch the last two hurdles because I just wanted him to get home, but in the end it was very impressive.

"I've been lucky enough to have some really good horses but this horse could be special.

"He's so exciting, I've never had one potentially this good. Whether we have a look at the Challow now is up to Paul and the team, but I'd be happy either way. All the horses in this race were good horses, but today we just had that bit extra."

The Grade Two Esher Novices' Chase went to the consistent Salver who bolted up to score by 12 lengths from Doyen Quest.

The gelding was a graded winner over hurdles and added a first chase success to his record when sweeping past Doyen Quest at the second last fence under Caoilin Quinn.

The success formed part of a treble for Quinn as newcomer Macktoad took the 2m juvenile hurdle before Across Earth landed the concluding 2m handicap hurdle.

Macktoad won his sole start at Vichy in May and built on that success by readily seeing off the Paul Nicholls-trained Pourquoi Pas Papa by three and a quarter lengths.

The Warren Greatrex trained Keep Running made all to take the 2m handicap chase, despite making a bad blunder at the sixth, he went clear of the field before coasting home by 18 lengths.

The combination of Nicholls and Harry Cobden brought up a double on the card after Welcome To Cartries pipped the front running New Order on the line by a head in the 3m chase.

By Peter Moore