Sanmartino proved the class act at Newbury yesterday when outspeeding his rivals for the Newbury Autumn Hurdle.

And David Nicholson's smart performer, whose only defeat over jumps came in last term's Champion Hurdle, will make a return visit to the Berkshire track later this month for a tilt at the Gerry Fielden Hurdle.

Adrian Maguire exuded confidence on Khalid Abdullah's fiveyear-old, merely shaking the reins at him after the final flight before lengthening six lengths clear of Whip Hand.

"So far it's all going according to plan as we are pressing all the right buttons with him and the plan at the moment is to stick to two miles with him," explained Nicholson.

"He'll come back here for the Gerry Fielden Hurdle and then we will take in either the Bula Hurdle at Cheltenham or Kempton's Christmas Hurdle and then a decision will be made whether we step him up in trip," he added.