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Paul Nicholls Stable Tour

Dan Skelton is to leave his position as assistant to the champion trainer Paul Nicholls in May and set up on his own at his father Nick's farm in Warwickshire.

Skelton has decided to take the plunge and apply for his own licence after nine years as Nicholls' right-hand man.

"This was not an easy decision to make, but after a lot of thought and discussion I have decided that in May 2013 I will embark on gaining my trainers' license from the BHA," said Skelton.

"The hardest part of this decision is no doubt the fact that I will be leaving a great team, and a great boss who, at the age of 19, welcomed me into full-time employment and the full time excitement of National Hunt Racing.

"Paul showed me great confidence and faith when taking me on as assistant with no experience, and has nurtured me into the person and professional that I am today.

"With nine years of top-class, championship-winning, experience I feel I am ready to make a start myself and will do so from my family home in Warwickshire with the support of my wife Grace, my father Nick and brother Harry.

"We have been granted permission for stabling and a six-and-a-half furlong uphill all-weather gallop near Alcester on my father's equestrian property. And, whilst this is a new venture, we aim to use all of our experience to build a top-class facility for horses and owners.

"There was never going to be an easy time to leave Ditcheat, and Grace and I cannot thank Paul, Georgie and the Barber family enough for having us.

"We are very excited about our future and I hope I can do justice to the training and education that I have received from Paul."

Nicholls wished Skelton all the best for the future and named Tom Jonason as his successor.

"Late last week, Dan spoke openly with me and Clifford about his plans for the future," Nicholls told Betfair.

"After our discussion, Dan wanted to, and will, stay in his current job and maintain his role as assistant until the end of the season.

"Tom Jonason, who has been with us for three years as our pupil assistant trainer, will shadow Dan until May and will take over his position full-time at that stage.

"I obviously wish Dan all the best in the future. He is a great friend above all else, and I am incredibly proud to have played a part in Harry Fry's and Dan's progression to the training ranks."
 
Writing in his exclusive column at www.betfair.com/paulnicholls he said: "I would really like to get Pearl Swan to the race - it is the UK's most valuable handicap hurdle after all - and he is coming along well at the moment.

"In fact, this morning we gave him his first serious school since his fall in the Triumph last season. I would like to think he would develop into better than a 146-rated horse by the end of the season, but I still have a fear that Newbury will come a week or so too soon for him.

"But we are pressing on with him, and it could be that I get him to the race fit enough to do himself justice but not fully primed - very much like Zarkandar last year. I would certainly settle for the same result and it is certainly possible, as he is still in the Champion Hurdle, too, and we like him a lot.

"If possible, I would like get a racecourse gallop into him in the next 10 days, or maybe take in a jumpers' bumper if I can get him into one of those."
 
Paul Nicholls: My Saturday runners at Cheltenham

"I would hate myself - and wouldn't be doing my job - were Sprinter Sacre not run to form for some reason, and we were not the ones to benefit in a Grade 1 race."

Betfair Ambassador Paul Nicholls has as many as seven runners at Cheltenham today and here he gives his usual honest views on each of them...


12:10 Cheltenham - Irish Saint

We bought him after he won a listed newcomers' hurdle at Auteuil in September by five lengths, and that victory, however hard to gauge, obviously promised a great deal. But, being honest, although he was sent off at odds-on on his debut for us at Kempton last month, I didn't really know what to expect. He had worked well enough at home but he certainly was no morning glory, and is clearly a real chaser in the making. So I had to be very impressed with his 18 length win at Kempton, as he travelled really powerfully throughout and jumped well too.

The form of that race may not amount to a great deal - though it was good to see Captain Cardington, beaten 27 1/2 lengths at Kempton, finish a fair third under a penalty at Newbury next time - but this is clearly a horse of some potential. I never saw him as a Triumph Hurdle type at all before Kempton, but we will certainly know more after today's run in this better grade. He has improved at home since Kempton, and we like him a lot.


13:15 Cheltenham - Poquelin & Pacha Du Polder

Poquelin ran ok over 3m on his reappearance at Ascot but poorly in the Paddy Power last time. The ground was probably too soft there and conditions will be far from ideal here too, obviously. So it is hard to be confident about a bold show, though we know he likes it here - he was second in this race last year - and the handicapper has dropped him 6lb since the start of the season, so he is theoretically well-treated. And Harry takes 5lb off, too.

I think a lot of Pacha Du Polder, but he has had me scratching my head a bit after two below-par runs this season. He found it all happening too quickly for him over 2m4f on good ground in the Old Roan on his reappearance and I thought he would be suited by stepping up in trip at Sandown last time. But he clearly didn't run up to his best over 3m1f there in soft ground, even if the winner looks a good horse. It could be that this trip on soft ground is what he needs, and the handicapper has dropped him 3lb. I think he is better than a 147-rated horse, but he has to start showing that on the track. If he does, then he has definite chances.


13:50 Cheltenham - Sanctuaire

The enigma that is Sanctuaire. He clearly was little short of a revelation when we switched him to fences last season, looking so impressive at Sandown in April, and we went to the Tingle Creek full of hope that he could at least give Sprinter Sacre a race. The winner is obviously in a different league, but Sanctuaire obviously didn't run to his best that day after going off far too fast. And he again looked booked for defeat when he was headed at Kempton last time. He completely switched off after jumping the last down the back, Ruby dropped his stick and we both thought he was beaten around the last bend. But then he filled up his lungs again after another horse went past him and he remarkably went on to win by 13 lengths. An extraordinary performance.

Everything tells you that second place is the best we can hope for here, and he would also like better ground, but let's give it a go. I would hate myself - and wouldn't be doing my job - were Sprinter Sacre not run to form for some reason, and we were not the ones to benefit in a Grade 1 race. After all, Denman got beat at 1-6 once. And this horse is top class in his own right.


14:25 Cheltenham - Tidal Bay (Non-Runner)

You will have read about him here on Thursday and Friday, and we are struggling to get him to the race. If you are reading this column when it goes live at 8am, switch on to Channel 4 now for an update as I am on the Morning Line!!


15:35 Cheltenham - Kauto Stone

Is not the biggest and perhaps he found it all a bit too much physically in the testing conditions in the King George last time. I don't mind telling you that I was very disappointed there, as his reappearance Down Royal defeat of First Lieutenant had promised much and he had been working well prior to Kempton. But, with Big Buck's out of the way, we thought we would switch him back to hurdles to see what we have got with a view to a possible crack at the World Hurdle.

If he can translate the form of his Down Royal win to hurdles, then he is bang in the mix, though it is obviously a tough task. We have freshened him up since Kempton, and he seems in good order.


16:10 Cheltenham - Dildar

Showed us plenty of ability on the track last season but perhaps not quite as much as he showed us at home. So I was delighted with his comeback second at Kempton, his first start since a summer breathing operation. However, so was the handicapper who has raised him 6lb for that effort. Looking at the form though, and how the horses behind him have run since, that looks harsh. Let's hope I am wrong though, and this one-time smart French Flat horse does have scope for improvement and should have progressed from Kempton. We try him in cheekpieces here to keep his mind on the job as he idled going to the last at Kempton.
 
http://betting.betfair.com/horse-ra...-for-some-of-my-novice-hurdlers-010213-9.html

Paul Nicholls spoke to Betfair about his Cheltenham Festival entries for some of his Novice Hurdlers; including some familiar names as well as some who are yet to make their debuts for the Ditcheat handler...


It must still be odds-on that the ground will be much better come Cheltenham in March - this bloody rain surely has to stop soon, or else the next National Hunt Trainers' Federation meeting will pass for a Tony Calvin-lookalike competition - and that is something that we all have to bear in mind when making our Festival entries at the moment.
And punters when they are placing their ante-post bets, too.
As I have said before, virtually all the major trials have been run in bottomless ground, and things are likely to be very different - not only the ground, but the speed and tempo of the races - come the middle of March.
Another bi-product of this frustrating wet weather, and the subsequent abandonments, is that a lot of trainers may still have a lot of unexposed, and unraced, horses in their yards.
So I am sure a lot of trainers still have some of these to unleash in the coming weeks, perhaps more so than in previous years, especially in the novice hurdle ranks.
In recent seasons, we haven't even seen the Triumph Hurdle winner out until the Adonis at Kempton in late February on a couple of occasions - Soldatino and Zarkandar - so what price this year's winner is still to show his hand?
I obviously have the current form horse Far West in the Triumph - by the way his owners were down to see him school this morning, we are very, very happy with him and he is likely to go straight to Cheltenham - but among my six entries are Brinestine and Lac Fontana, still to race for me.
I always reserve judgement on my juveniles until I have seen them on the track. But both are pleasing me at home. Brinestine was progressive on the Flat in Ireland, and was due to run at Sandown tomorrow before the rain intervened. He has options at Huntingdon and Taunton next week.
He works and schools with Lac Fontana, who showed smart Flat form over 1m2f in France. Let's hope he is another Zarkandar for Jared and Chris! He is out a week tomorrow at Newbury, where the lads also run Silviniaco Conti in the Betfair Denman Chase.
Before I talk about three other Festival-entered horses still to race for me, I must just mention Dodging Bullets and Aaim To Prosper.
The former is very much the forgotten horse of the Supreme, but go and take a look at his run in the Christmas Hurdle and you realise that he shouldn't be. He is very well and he will probably go straight to Cheltenham, though he will have an entry in the Dovecote.
And if it does come up good ground at Cheltenham, then Aaim To Prosper is exactly the kind of horse who could throw his hat into the ring.
His hurdling debut form was nothing special ratings-wise but we all know what a smart, good ground stayer he was on the Flat. He has done really well since that first run and is entered in both the Albert Bartlett and Neptune. I can't wait to get him out on better ground.
I also have Just A Par, Pay The King and Mac's Return in those two races, although none have raced for me as yet.
I would probably class all three as future chasers - don't I always though!!! - and are only tentative entries at this stage. But all have shown a lot of promise previously, and at home for me, and I want to have the option of running them should they impress me on their stable debuts in the coming weeks.
Just A Par is a winning pointer and a seven length winner of a Punchestown bumper in November, and looks a lovely prospect for Paul Barber and Graham Roach; Pay The King won a Gowran bumper in October and looks a real chaser in the making for Mr Geffen; and Mac's Return has pleased me since being bought by John Hales after winning his point in November.
The next few weeks will tell us more about them and whether Cheltenham could be on the agenda this year, next year or in the future.
Until then, the dream is still alive!
 
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Nichols says Arkle hope Fago could head for the Pendil next or Sandown after his fall yesterday. Lac Fontana heads to the Adonis Hurdle.

Fago could meet Simonsig in Pendil :)
 
"Tidal Bay has been in great form and he is due to run off 4lb lower than he did in the Hennessy. That's a huge incentive to run and I think the handicapper has given him an outstanding chance. We always knew he'd be on 11st 10lb, it was just the rating itself we wanted to find out.

"I've taken him out of the Gold Cup and I don't want to rush him. If he's ready he can go for the World Hurdle, but I don't want to forego his chance in the National."

Nicholls has three other interesting contenders and expects each to line up. No decisions have been made on jockeys, with Ruby Walsh juggling commitments with Nicholls, Willie Mullins and possibly his father Ted.

The champion trainer added: "What A Friend (11st 5lb) has the same sort of profile to Neptune Collonges, having been placed in a Gold Cup. He'll go to Kempton in a fortnight and then we'll get together with Sir Alex (Ferguson, owner). He might miss Cheltenham in order to keep him fresh.

"Harry The Viking is in good form and he could run at Doncaster next. He's got a nice weight and could just go there and run tidy.

"Join Together is the one we set our stall out to get ready for the National and he ran a great race in the Becher. He could run at Doncaster next week and is the sort that could run really well."
 
Betfair Ambassador Paul Nicholls saddles four runners at Ascot today including his unbeaten, Triumph Hurdle-bound, Far West in the penultimate contenst...


www.ironspinechallenge.com


13:30 Ascot - Aaim To Prosper

Is one of the better Flat horses to be sent to us - albeit he is nine now - having won the Cesarewitch off a mark of 107 at Newmarket in October. I have been happy enough with his two efforts in defeat for us, and in hindsight we perhaps could have made more use of him when third at Doncaster last time. However, with the front three pulling well clear, that is still pretty decent form. The ground will be softer than ideal for him here but I would like to think that there is more to come from him. Has definitely improved since his last run and we will have a lot of fun with him in the spring; I think he will go very close to winning here.


14:05 Ascot - Rocky Creek

Was a Grade 2-winning hurdler last season but we always thought that this point winner would only reach his potential when put over fences. And he isn't letting us down so far. He clearly bumped into a very smart horse when second to Harry Topper on his chasing debut at Exeter, but has progressed to win decent races over 3m at Doncaster and 3m1f at Warwick, on the latter track travelling and jumping impressively en route to a 15 length win. His main market rival, Highland Lodge, may not have run his race at Warwick but ours clearly ran a race full of promise and had people talking about Cheltenham. But we will take our time with him and make a decision about the Festival after this; he is still a work in progress and I am mindful that he didn't show his best in the Albert Bartlett last season.


15:50 Ascot - Ghizao

A small but very select field for this Grade 1 contest. And as we are up against the likes of the Champion Chase winner Finian's Rainbow fresh from a breathing op, King George runner-up Captain Chris, and the impressive Haldon Cup winner Cue Card - not to mention Somersby, who loves it around here - I think it is fair to say that we have our work cut out, especially as I think he is better on good ground and maybe over a touch shorter too.

But you have to take your chance in a £150,000 contest where you can put question marks against all of the field, and don't forget that we were giving Captain Chris 6lb when only beaten four lengths by him here over 2m1f in November. He probably didn't run up to his best at Kempton last time, but he seems in good order at home and we will see what happens.


16:25 Ascot - Far West

First things first, I have to again pay tribute to Paul Stewart, whose Challenge later this year this race has been named after. Click on this link to a Betfair press release earlier in the week - - and see for yourself what an inspiration he is. So if you can donate to any of the two charities, either online or in person, please do; they will be fundraising at Ascot today if you are going.

If you are, then I hope you see Far West cement his Triumph Hurdle claims with a victory. This is a tough task with River Maigue in opposition, but this race comes at the right time for him, and he gets the 4yo allowance and only carries one penalty for his three wins. To my mind, his form is the best currently out there among the juveniles. He does occasionally hit a flat spot in his races (like Big Buck's!), but his form is there for all to see. Has been working very well with Zarkandar.
 
Zarkander is back to his best and @PFNicholls calls him 'our little Hurricane Fly' not flashy but gallops on well

'The Pertemps has been the target for Sam Winner for some time now' @PFNicholls

Luck du Lin chance in the Grand Annual 'travels and jumps well' says @PFNicholls

Far West looks a picture 'devastating turn of foot' says @PFNicholls at his Cheltenham open day

Wonderful Charm had a breathing op and is likely to go for the Coral Cup. Will have a racecourse gallop at Kempton pic.twitter.com/RCoVtn3y

Dodging Bullets is very well and a fast run race like the Supreme will be perfect for him says @PFNicholls

Fago runs in Sandown on Friday and @PFNicholls says he could go for the Arkle then

Ptit Zig gets a favourable mention for the Fred Winter pic.twitter.com/LrHAcY0M
 
a timeform perspective

I don't want this to turn into Sesame Street, but if yesterday's word was 'workable', today's is 'nice'. The same chord was struck when Paul Nicholls used 'nice' in his media morning on Wednesday as David Pipe's 'workable' on Tuesday, in that particular words have greater meaning in situations like this, in the poker game where one man wants to keep his cards close to his chest and 35 journalists are trying to grab the whole deck.

A 'nice team' was how Nicholls described his Cheltenham contenders, numbering around 25, while admitting that 'no-one has got a squad quite like Nicky's', though one man's nice is another man's nirvana, and the second-favourites for the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup, along with a host of up-and-comers and several handicap favourites, puts Nicholls' 'nice' into some perspective.

One of those handicap favourites is Sam Winner, the horse who prompted a subtle-yet-detectable increase in confidence and excitement levels in Nicholls' delivery amongst the paraded dozen that made up his elite team. 'The Pertemps has been our target for a long time.' Enough said. It's easy to forget that Sam Winner was favourite for the 2011 Triumph Hurdle won by Zarkandar, since when he's had an aborted chasing career. 'He'll go back chasing one day, but I think there's more in him over hurdles,' the more expected to be revealed by moving up to three miles.

'Half-fit' on his reappearance, Sam Winner's only other start this mapped-out season was a defeat of Peddlers Cross in a jumpers' bumper. Nicholls spoke very much like a man with a plan as far as Sam Winner and the Pertemps goes, to the extent that, if Sam is indeed a winner on the Thursday of Cheltenham week, I fully expect to see him lean against the rail in the winner's enclosure, light up a cigar, and utter the immortal line: 'I love it when a plan comes together.'

As Wonderful Charm was being led away, I noticed Nicholls saying, almost to himself, 'that's a nice horse, that is.' Wonderful Charm, who had a breathing operation straight after his smooth win on his debut for Nicholls in the Grade 2 Persian War at Chepstow in October, is being aimed at the Coral Cup, but 'in a different year he could have gone down the World Hurdle route.' Beyond 'nice', the impression was that Nicholls thinks an awful lot of Wonderful Charm. Gevrey Chambertin's mark sounds a little less workable in the Coral Cup after what Nicholls had to say about Wonderful Charm.

Nice was also the keyword for Ptit Zig, current favourite for the Fred Winter. '130 looks a nice mark' for him so we were told, though Nicholls did stress that he'd want plenty of cut in the ground, likewise the stable's other Fred Winter bullet Saphir du Rheu. Reading between the lines, which, let's not mess around, is my main duty at these events rather than typographer, Ptit Zig is fancied more than Saphir du Rheu, but it's hard to split one from the other in terms of well-being or difficult names. Those French.

Those French were in attendence, courtesy of the Equidia camera crew, who were right on two counts: right to be there, given the number of French-breds now over here, and right to shoot me the odd air sale (dirty look), after I trod on their cables numerous times in the battle for space. That's when my French A-level/knowledge of Ruth Carr sprinters kicked in with an embellished 'Excusez Moi' on my part, resulting in an even airier sale, to which I mumbled something about Guillame Macaire being ordinary and fled to the safety of the very British ATR cables attached to the very British and very funny Luke Harvey.

Unioniste, yet another French native, has 'improved enormously' from Newbury, where he went 80% fit according to Nicholls, and he's the one for the RSA Chase, with Rocky Creek more likely than not to skip Cheltenham, though if it turned bottomless - and who knows with the British weather - then the pack may reportedly be reshuffled with Unioniste going for the Jewson and Rocky Creek coming into the RSA reckoning.

Likewise from the schooling grounds of France, Fago is considered to be 'a really exciting two-mile chaser' and will run at Sandown this Friday with a view to a crack at Simonsig in the Arkle, while in a different, all the more uneven Nicholls-Henderson bout, the acknowledgement was made that Sanctuaire is merely 'playing for crumbs' in Sprinter Sacre's Champion Chase.

It's hard to envisage defeat for Henderson's My Tent Or Yours, either, in the Supreme, but Nicholls presented a strong case for Dodging Bullets, 'the forgotten horse' as he called him, who looks primed to the minute for the race that he's been saved for, with the fast pace expected to bring the best out of him. 'He hasn't had his ground all season - he wants it good to soft and no worse - and he compares very favourably with Noland and Al Ferof,' Nicholls' two previous winners of the Supreme.

Talking of comparing very favourably, it's a body blow for anyone who has backed Irish Saint for the Triumph, as Far West was described firstly as 'top of our juveniles' and secondly as 'comparing very favourably to Zarkandar'. In fact, Far West works with the 167 Timeform-rated Zarkandar, which says plenty. Ruby was apparently very impressed with Far West at Ascot, when Plan 'A' of tracking River Maigue soon turned to Plan 'B' when Barry didn't play ball, but the outcome was greatly encouraging.

There was an ever-so-slight whiff of a smokescreen when Nicholls described Mr Mole as too backward and inexperienced for a race like the County Hurdle, while it's more with hope than expectation that Celestial Halo attempts to fill the huge shoes of Big Buck's in the World Hurdle, but there was a positive mention for Ulck du Lin for the Grand Annual.

And so to the 'big two', whom Nicholls posed with in the classic shot at the end of the parade. Not Dan and Clifford, but Zarkandar and Silviniaco Conti.

The assertion that Zarkandar is a different horse this year is supported, to some degree at least, by Timeform ratings, which have him 6 lb higher now than when going into the 2012 Champion Hurdle, in which he was fifth and 'nowhere near himself'. The general tribute was glowing for Zarkandar and his prospects, but Nicholls did raise a valuable point regards the trip, namely that the old course, on which the Champion Hurdle is run, is much sharper and almost a furlong shorter than the new one (while I mention him, I've heard nothing the last two days to put me off my nap of the meeting: The New One), and that won't necessarily play to Zarkandar's strengths.

As for Silviniaco Conti, the ground and the fact something had been left to work on made Nicholls all the more pleased that he passed his final mock exam at Newbury two weeks ago, and he isn't worried one jot by the fact the horse has no winning course form: 'When you look back, he did incredibly well in the Bula Hurdle (his only previous experience of Cheltenham when third to Menorah) considering he was a stayer in amongst two-milers.' What were the last words by Nicholls, summing up Silviniaco Conti? 'He has a nice chance in the Gold Cup.' Nice to see you, to see you...

You can now follow Jamie on Twitter - @LynchyJM
 
Current Ratings for Paul Nicholls Chasers

HorseYearRating
Silviniaco Conti (FR)2006175
Tidal Bay (IRE)2001171
Al Ferof (FR)2005168
Sanctuaire (FR)2006166
Kauto Stone (FR)2006161
What A Friend (GB)2003161
Edgardo Sol (FR)2007155
Ghizao (GER)2004155
Poquelin (FR)2003155
Fago (FR)2008154
Aerial (FR)2006153
Unioniste (FR)2008153
Rocky Creek (IRE)2006152
Join Together (IRE)2005150
Rolling Aces (IRE)2006149
Hinterland (FR)2008148
Doeslessthanme (IRE)2004147
Sire Collonges (FR)2006146
Ulck du Lin (FR)2008146
Bury Parade (IRE)2006145
Pacha du Polder (FR)2007145
The Knoxs (IRE)2003145
Poungach (FR)2006144
Grandioso (IRE)2007142
Rebel du Maquis (FR)2005142
Harry The Viking (GB)2005140
Michel Le Bon (FR)2003140
Rebel Rebellion (IRE)2005140
Shooters Wood (IRE)2004140
Toubab (FR)2006140
Domtaline (FR)2007139
Hawkes Point (GB)2005139
Ruben Cotter (IRE)2006139
Gwanako (FR)2003138
Tricky Trickster (IRE)2003137
Current Event (FR)2007136
Keppols Hill (IRE)2006136
Cedre Bleu (FR)2007135
Prince Tom (GB)2004135
Thatll Do (GB)2005134
Theres No Panic (IRE)2005134
Oscargo (IRE)2004133
Royal Charm (FR)2005132
Sang Bleu (FR)2006132
Criqtonic (FR)2007130
Elenika (FR)2008130
Jump City (FR)2006130
Rangitoto (IRE)2005130
Definity (IRE)2003128
Spock (FR)2005128
Merrion Square (IRE)2006127
Indian Daudaie (FR)2007124
No Loose Change (IRE)2005124
Deireadh Re (IRE)2006123
Polisky (FR)2007122
Rowdy Rampage (IRE)2004119
Minella Stars (IRE)2005117
Aikideau (FR)2007115
Round Tom (FR)2005114
Ramses de Marcigny (FR)2005100
 
Hurdlers by Rating

Horse Year Rating
Big Bucks (FR) 2003 174
Zarkandar (IRE) 2007 167
Celestial Halo (IRE) 2004 160
Tidal Bay (IRE) 2001 160
Brampour (IRE) 2007 156
Dodging Bullets (GB) 2008 156
Dark Lover (GER) 2005 150
Prospect Wells (FR) 2005 149
Wonderful Charm (FR) 2008 149
Hinterland (FR) 2008 148
Edgardo Sol (FR) 2007 147
Black Thunder (FR) 2007 145
Far West (FR) 2009 145
Pearl Swan (FR) 2008 145
Irish Saint (FR) 2009 142
Salubrious (IRE) 2007 141
Easter Day (FR) 2008 140
Five Dream (FR) 2004 140
Ranjaan (FR) 2008 140
Sam Winner (FR) 2007 140
Themilanhorse (IRE) 2006 140
Sametegal (FR) 2009 138
Caid du Berlais (FR) 2009 137
Empire Levant (USA) 2007 137
American Trilogy (IRE) 2004 136
Mr Mole (IRE) 2008 136
Valco de Touzaine (FR) 2009 135
Ruben Cotter (IRE) 2006 134
Benvolio (IRE) 2007 133
Ted Spread (GB) 2007 132
Tonic Mellysse (FR) 2007 132
Landscape (FR) 2008 131
Dildar (IRE) 2008 130
Ptit Zig (FR) 2009 130
Rangitoto (IRE) 2005 130
Saphir du Rheu (FR) 2009 130
For Two (FR) 2009 129
Provo (IRE) 2007 129
Sound Investment (IRE) 2008 128
Wiffy Chatsby (IRE) 2007 125
Aaim To Prosper (IRE) 2004 124
Curtain Razer (IRE) 2006 120
Maxi Chop (FR) 2008 120
Roger Beantown (IRE) 2005 120
Sidney Melbourne (USA) 2007 120
Suerte Al Salto (IRE) 2007 120
Round Tom (FR) 2005 119
Sin Bin (IRE) 2006 119
Saint Roque (FR) 2006 116
Workbench (FR) 2008 115
Oscarslad (IRE) 2006 111
Toby Lerone (IRE) 2007 111
The Fish Pot (IRE) 2007 95
 
Good Question ...

Paul ‏@patriotscpfc

@BetfairRacing @pfnicholls #AskPaul If you could only take 3 of your horses to Chelt, which ones would they be? #cheltfest

Betfair Racing ‏@BetfairRacing

Zarkandar, Conti and Far West
 
‏@kingofthejumps

@BetfairRacing Given the choice between The New One and Pont Alexandre, which would you rather have at Ditcheat? #AskPaul

Betfair Racing ‏@BetfairRacing

PN: Marginally Pont Alexandre.
 
@BetfairRacing if you were given £100 what one of your horses would you back ? #AskPaul

PN: As of today i would have £50 eachway on Tricky Trickster in the Fox Hunters at 20/1
Expand
 
If we can come out of Cheltenham, sort of not too far apart either way, I think we’d have a right chance,” he said, “because we’ve got a lot left to run on better ground towards the end of the season.

Specifically Nicholls reports that he has “a lot left for Aintree”, though he was quick to add that he is not relying on a repeat of last year when, with Neptune Collonges, he finally won the Grand National after dozens of fruitless attempts, a success so valuable that Henderson’s challenge was immediately ended.

“The National is the National, you can’t even think about: ‘If we win the National …’ Listen, it took 53 goes to win and it’ll probably take 53 again, so you don’t even look at that. But there’s a lot of nice racing left yet.”

At the same time Nicholls is realistic enough to accept that, “If you come out of Cheltenham £300,000 or £400,000 behind, you’ve had it.

“If Nicky’s all hit the jackpot next week and win their big races, we’re in serious trouble, even though we’ll probably end the season having won a lot of prize money. I suspect we’ll be well over £2m again.”

Both men are usually reluctant to discuss their title chances. “The media like talking about it and winding us up, so we just pretend we don’t care,” Nicholls said.

“Of course you do, your whole team do, really. I know last year, their team thought they were going to [win] and then there were swings and roundabouts. At the end of the day it’s not the be-all and end-all. Next week we’ve got other things to be thinking about.”

Nicholls enthuses about his Festival contenders, led by his Champion Hurdle runner, Zarkandar, who “has done nothing but improve” since winning the Kingwell here last month. Silviniaco Conti, his Gold Cup hope, is “working nicely, schooled well yesterday, very happy with him”.

Ther are others the trainer is looking forward to as well. “Sam Winner in the Pertemps [Hurdle], I think he’s a horse with a nice future if we keep him sound. I really like [Triumph Hurdle runner] Far West; he’s a decent horse.

“Two nice juveniles, Ptit Zig and Saphir Du Rheu [both in the Fred Winter], they’re really nice horses. Ulck Du Lin in the Grand Annual. Ranjaan could run really well in the County Hurdle if it stayed dry.

“So it’s a nice team and I’m just really thrilled with the way they’ve been working and the way the preparation’s going. Last year we had horses coughing and then we had Kauto Star fall [while schooling at home]. It just feels totally different this year, really looking forward to it, without any stress, thank God. There’s always stress but not like last year.”

Nicholls has a handful of decisions to make regarding choice of race for some of his horses, notably Wonderful Charm, who had been aimed at the Coral Cup but might now be sent for the more ambitious World Hurdle.

“The Coral Cup can be a hard race to win off a stiff mark and 28 runners and you need a lot of luck in running.

“It might sound stupid, but the World Hurdle, you can look at it and think, there’s doubts about several of the horses. The only problem we’ve got, in my mind, is we don’t know whether he stays. If it was three miles on very testing ground, I wouldn’t even entertain it.”

Unioniste is “almost certain” to run in the RSA Chase rather than the Jewson, which is the likely target for Sire Collonges.

Also mulling his options here yesterday was David Pipe, who has Dynaste in both the RSA and the Jewson. Clearly fed up with being pressed for a decision, he said: “I’m never going to enter a horse in two races ever again.

“I don’t have to make a decision until Tuesday morning but I doubt we’ll leave it that late. We’ll probably make a decision over the weekend.”
 
The Ditcheat handler said: “It is hard to believe history will repeat itself after Neptune Collonges’ win last year, but I have aimed Join Together at this race all season.

“He schooled well this week, is going to have a racecourse gallop early next week, and I am happy with him.
“Harry The Viking is also well after his Cheltenham run, but would like the ground to dry up, and What A Friend will also have an entry for the Betfred Bowl because I wouldn’t want him to be carrying top weight in a soft-ground National. We are keeping our options open with him.”
Aside from the National, Nicholls has plenty of arrows to fire at the supporting events with Prospect Wells and Zarkandar possibles for the Aintree Hurdle.
He added: “Prospect Wells goes for the two-mile-four-furlong Aintree Hurdle, a race in which World Hurdle runner-up Celestial Halo and Champion Hurdle fourth Zarkandar are possibles too, though Celestial obviously has the three-mile Liverpool Hurdle as an option too. Next week will tell us whether we have any runners in the Bowl, but we have Toubab and possibly Rebel Rebellion, earmarked for the Red Rum Chase.”
 
Haydock, 14:40
Landscape
I think he is on a decent mark if returning to the form of his Taunton win in December but I have to admit that he was very disappointing at Chepstow last time. Regular readers will know that I am always willing to forgive any horse a poor run at that track - some horses just don't like the place - but it wasn't as if the ground was bottomless and I think he could have battled a bit harder. So, the blinkers are on. If they make the difference - and he worked in them on Thursday morning - then he has each-way chances in what is clearly a very competitive and valuable race.*


Haydock,*15:15*
Cedre Bleu
He has been off the track since falling when still in with a shout at Chepstow in January but he comes here fresh and in good form. He did the job well enough over 2m6f in heavy ground at Ascot in December, maybe idling a bit close home, and I think a mark of 135 remains a fair one for him. Even though he beat Bellvano over 2m1f at Newbury last season, I think in time he may be best at 3m. But, over 2m4f with cut in the ground, he should be fine here.

As with Landscape, we put blinkers on him for the first time here - though in his case primarily to make him jump a bit sharper, rather than to make him concentrate - and let's hope that they have the same effect they had on Michel Le Bon recently. He has been schooling in them.


Newton Abbot,*15:20
Virak
I haven't had him long so, as ever, I will let the racecourse tell us what we have. But clearly the fact that he won a hurdle at Pau by 12 lengths in January is encouraging, as is his homework. *Hopefully he is a nice prospect for next season, and this race has cut up a fair bit, but let's see what happens with him here before making any firmer plans.


Newton Abbot,*15:55
Ulck Du Lin
We fancied him to run a big race in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham but he was never going or jumping after a bad mistake at the third, so I am hoping that he can put that run behind him. One mistake and you are out of the game at Cheltenham. The races that he won at Newbury and Ascot were not the most competitive and he has gone up 20lb for them. And I can see him wanting 2m4f next season. But I like him and this trip on heavy ground won't be an issue here, and this has cut up to just five runners, too.
 
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