Paul Nicholls met with mixed fortunes at chilly Taunton where Sam Thomas was beaten on two hot favourites before scoring on Herecomesthetruth for the Ditcheat team.

Big Fella Thanks started at 4-1-on for the Charmed Hole Publications Beginners Chase only to lose in a photo finish after making most of the running, despite some sketchy jumping.

Thomas was hard at work on the reluctant six-year-old throughout the second circuit and finished a short head behind Itsa Legend, ridden by Swindon jockey Wayne Hutchinson for Barbury Castle trainer Alan King, after surviving a mistake three fences from home.

"I thought he had blown it three out but the horse galloped on well and will be sharper for the race," said King's assistant Noel Williams.

The Nicholls-Thomas partnership suffered another setback when the 15-8 on shot Thundering Star trailed in six lengths behind Clova Island partnered by claimer Darren O'Dwyer for Minehead handler Philip Hobbs in the John Mohide Novices Hurdle.

The improving six-year-old quickened impressively after the last obstacle to step up on his second behind Sowersby at Kempton last month and stormed clear of Thundering Star and Triple Bluff trained at Buckfastleigh by Jimmy Frost, whose son Hadden was in the saddle.

"He is a nice horse and we thought he should have won at Kempton but was badly hampered," said the trainer's wife Sarah Hobbs, who was pleased with sixth-placed Pourdel, on his first outing for the stable.

Thomas enjoyed a welcome change of luck for Nicholls when Herecomesthetruth outstayed Paul Webber's Pressgang under Timmy Murphy, in the HBLB Novices Chase.

The six-year-old made most of the running and had two lengths to spare at the post, after Tony McCoy parted company with Jonjo O'Neill's Kia Kaha at the second last.

Thomas completed a 19-1 double on Theatre Diva, trained by Venetia Williams at Hereford, in the Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Hurdle where he finished two-and-three -quarter lengths clear of Tom O'Brien on Archie Gunn, from the Somerton yard of Ron Hodges.

Nicholls also struck again when Gullible Gordon, under Harry Skelton, took the Brewin Dolphin Hurdle by 13 lengths from Kayf Aramis, representing Miss Williams, whose Ping Pong Sivola was also runner-up to Charming Oscar, from Bob Buckler's Crewkerne stable in the weatherbysshop.co.uk Chase.

O'Dwyer set out to make all the running in the southwest-racing.com Selling Hurdle on Devito, trained at Minehead by Gordon Edwards, but had to settle for second when McCoy coasted to victory on Sun Quest.

The four-year-old finished three-and-three-quarter lengths ahead at the post to justify the confidence of Bridgend trainer Tim Vaughan, who admitted that Connections had "a nice touch" on the winner. Sun Quest then failed to attract a bid at auction, to the relief of his Cardiff owner David Lovell.