Paul Nicholls made a blistering start to the new jumps season as Nineohtwooneoh won at Southwell.
The 11-time champion trainer has sent six of his stable to the Nottinghamshire track as the new National Hunt campaign got underway on Wednesday afternoon.
Nineohtwooneoh went off as the 2/1 favourite, and he won for the first time since February after making his fencing debut.
The six-year-old was last seen at Taunton where he finished fourth behind Russian Service but regular rider Harry Cobden got him ticking along nicely on Wednesday.
The Sign Solutions Nottingham Novices' Handicap Chase provided plenty of drama for the first race of the new campaign, with the well-fancied Oxwich Bay departing mid-race.
Nineohtwooneoh did well to avoid the traffic, though, and won by ten lengths, much to the delight of Cobden.
“It's good to be back and good to get going with a winner,” he said.
“He got better and better as he got going, he had a bit of a look at the last but he's one that will go forward.”
