TRAINER Paul Nicholls enjoyed a remarkable day at Ascot on Saturday, winning five of the nine races including the rescheduled Denham Chase, writes Dave Wright.

In addition to his five in Berkshire, he also saddled two winners at Wincanton and another up at Haydock.

"We've had seven in one day before, but we've never had eight, so it has been a brilliant day," said the Ditcheat maestro, who sent out 24 runners around the country with all but four helping contribute to his day's prize money of £260,545.

Four of his Ascot winners were ridden by Harry Cobden, but it was Bryony Frost who got her stable's opening win.

It came on 25-1 shot Brio Conti in the Ascot Supports Berkshire Community Foundation Handicap Hurdle, with Nicholls admitting he was surprised by the success as he had been pulled up at Sandown a fortnight earlier.

Brio Conti held off Honest Vic by a head and had to survive a stewards inquiry which led to Frost being cautioned for careless riding as she allowed her mount to drift left-handed and gave the runner-up a bump just after the final hurdle.

There were wins for the Colin Tizzard-trained Mister Malarky (7/2) in the Sodexo Reynoldstown Novices' Chase and Venetia Williams' Calipto (15/2) in the Keltbray Swinley Chase before the Nicholls-Cobden combination took centre stage.

Clan Des Obeaux, the 2/5 favourite, led home three rivals to win the Betfair Denham Chase by 11 lengths, the contest having been rescheduled following the cancelled Newbury meeting the previous week because of the equine influenza shutdown.

Nicholls described Clan's performance as "awesome" and Sky Bet cut the winner to 6/1 from 7s for next month's Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

After Al Dancer (5/2fav), ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies for his father Nigel, had waltzed home in the Betfair Hurdle (also held over from Newbury), Nicholls and Cobden were back in the winner's enclosure with Cyrname following the Betfair Ascot Chase.

Cobden took the 3/1 shot straight into the lead and was never headed, finishing an astonishing 17 lengths clear of the 11/8 favourite, Waiting Patiently, who had won the corresponding race last year with Nicholls' second runner, Politologue fourth, of the six runners.

Half an hour later, Cobden had to work much harder as he pushed home Worthy Farm (5/1) by half-a-length in the Best Racing On TV Handicap Hurdle.

And a momentous Saturday for the jockey and trainer was completed by Silver Forever in the National Hunt Flat Race which closed the meeting, the 2/1 favourite staying on well to hold off outsider Mystic Dreamer by three-quarters of a length.

Third place went to the Kim Bailey-trained Subway Surf, whose owners include former Countdown star Carol Vorderman and fellow celebrity Richard Hammond of Top Gear fame, both being present at Ascot.