Flagship Therese will spearhead a Paul Nicholls raid on Perth next week following a game victory in the Cheltenham Mares' Only Handicap Hurdle at Prestbury Park yesterday.

Nicholls is pulling out all the stops in his quest to stay ahead of Martin Pipe in the trainers' championship race and stated he will leave no stone unturned and that includes a number of runners at the Scottish track.

"I will run a number up there but the main ones will be Flagship Therese who could go for a three mile novices' hurdle or a mares novices hurdle and Dines who will run in a decent two mile handicap chase," he said.

Joe Tizzard brought Flagship Therese with a sustained challenge from the penultimate flight to nip in front in approaching the last before galloping strongly up the Cheltenham hill and collect by seven lengths from Alta.

"She's a tough little mare and though she was 17lb out of the handicap I was not going to let that put me off running as it was a nice valuable race. They went a good gallop and that helped set it up for her," added Nicholls.

Pipe had earlier found the winners circle thanks to a comfortable victory by Star Of Dungannon in the Endsleigh Insurance Novice Hurdle.

The gelding thrashed Samakaan by five lengths and could take his chance at the Punchestown Festival later this month.