DODGING Bullets is likely to have his next outing in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot next month after breaking his Grade One duck in the Tingle Creek.
Continuing Paul Nicholls' dominance in the race - the champion trainer was registering his ninth success since 1999 - the six-year-old beat Somersby and stablemate Hinterland.
Dodging Bullets has had Nicholls scratching his head but now appears to have sorted out his issues. "We are still learning about him because I thought he'd go close first time out, but it turned out he needed the outing. We've been hard on him since then and I have to thank my nephew Harry Derham and my daughter Megan who share the ride on him at home," said Nicholls. "Dodging Bullets looked better than ever in the paddock on Saturday. He has grown up a bit and really tries. "I am thinking about the Victor Chandler Chase (now Clarence House) for him next and if we can have him in the same form going to the Festival in March, he has to have a decent chance in the Champion Chase."