NOVICE HURDLERS
THE spotlight this winter will be on youth, with no fewer than 55 horses bound for juvenile or novice hurdles. One of the features of last season was a late flurry of bumper winners and a host of them are now expected to do well over hurdles.
One of the best could be Capitaine, described by Nicholls as “the apple of my eye ever since he arrived from France”. A runaway Wincanton success in April, which has been followed by slick schooling, suggests the four-year-old could take high rank.
Visually even more impressive a few days earlier was Brahms De Clermont, a five-year-old from the family of Master Minded who put 16 lengths between himself and his Taunton rivals, despite running green.The trainer said: “He gave Sean Bowen a great feel and looked as if he could go round again. His schooling has since been very good.”
Either Brahms De Clermont or Capitaine could first take in the valuable bumper at the Paddy Power meeting.
Successful on the same Wincanton card as Capitaine was the year-older Movewiththetimes. The trainer said: “He’d been working just about as well as any of our bumper horses, so it was no surprise to see him win what could have been a warm contest. Tom George trained the runner-up in both divisions of that bumper and he fancied his pair, so the form could be okay. Movewiththetimes has progressed nicely since and jumps well.”
Nicholls had a virtual monopoly on the spring bumpers at his local track and he had been successful in both divisions at the previous fixture with a promising pair owned by Trevor Hemmings. Touch Kick, a son of Presenting from the family of Big Buck’s, gave the impression he’ll be suited by further than two miles over hurdles, as should Winningtry, who may have another bumper run first.
Gibbes Bay was bought at last December’s Cheltenham breeze-up sale as a future chaser, but judged on his Ayr bumper success on Scottish National day there are novice hurdles to be won with him first.
There is no disguising the trainer’s liking for Capeland, who won a Listed bumper at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day on his only run last season.Nicholls said: “We’ve looked after him with the future in mind and he’s enjoyed an excellent summer. He has bags of potential and should be out in mid-October.”
There is similar enthusiasm for Give Me A Copper, a £270,000 buy at the Goffs UK Aintree sale in April. This point-to-point and bumper winner has done plenty of work and should make his mark in staying novice hurdles.
Another to have reportedly done well is the ex-French Cash Again, second to the smart Jenkins at Newbury on his debut for the yard.Nicholls said: “The form has been franked, he has summered well and I expect him to make a decent novice.”
The vastly improved pair El Bandit and Bagad Bihoue have carried all before them this summer, unbeaten in their six outings, and both could take their chance in the Persian War Novices’ Hurdle at Chepstow.
Coup De Pinceau has not been rushed, but there was a lot to like about his Ludlow debut success in April. “He’s done very well physically and jumps nicely,” said the trainer.Brio Conti has needed more time than some of the others but a Stratford bumper success in May suggests he is now ready to start repaying the patience. Captain Buck’s was also given time to mature. A heavy-ground winner at Taunton in February, he got caught out on a quicker surface back there in April and will be suited by two and a half miles over hurdles.
FORMER POINTERS
THE huge Topofthegame changed hands for £120,000 at the Goffs UK Aintree sale after making all to run out an impressive winner of an Irish maiden point-to-point in March. Despite his size, he has schooled well over hurdles according to his trainer. Although early days, Nicholls is “very pleased” with One More Hero, who looked a real staying prospect when winning at Dromahane. He will relish a trip over hurdles.
The trainer appears equally sweet on Irish maiden point winner Secret Investor. “He has real presence and I’m thrilled with him, but we’ll need to look after him and give him time to develop as he’s a lovely prospect further down the line.”
Blackwater Bramble, another Dromahane winner, “will be ready early on to hopefully take advantage of some good ground”.
A number of horses have come via Jack Barber’s pointing academy at Seaborough in Dorset.
Rouge Devils was very green in a bumper for Nicholls last October, but a spell pointing led to him winning twice for Barber and he can continue to progress in staying novice hurdles on good ground.
Also on the green side up to now has been The Happy Chappy, but that did not stop him winning both starts. Other dual winners to note are San Satiro, who looked a thorough stayer when successful at Cotley and the Berkeley, and Overland Flyer, who has had a soft palate operation. Bistouri D’Honore is a maiden in the pointing sphere but it was only by a whisker that he was beaten at the Berkeley and this fine, big son of Ballingarry looks the part.
NEW FRENCH BLOOD
EXPECT Dolos to make his mark early. Third on his only run for Guillaume Macaire in the influential Prix Wild Monarch, one of France’s top races for unraced three-year-olds, he could go to the first Chepstow meeting.
Also expected out next month is Divin Bere, a maiden on the Flat after nine outings but much improved over hurdles, winning at Lyon and second twice at Auteuil in April.
Two other three-year-olds to note are Darling Maltaix, whose sharp turn of foot enabled him to win a bumper at Vichy on his only run in May, and Wealth Des Mottes. He impressed when making a successful hurdling debut at Clairefontaine in Deauville in July, although Paul Nicholls warned: “He may want a bit of time to grow up.”
Among the new four-year-olds, Casko D’Airy “looks an old-fashioned chasing sort who will appreciate a trip”, while Contre Tous was a bumper winner who has been placed over hurdles.
There was a good word for Peak To Peak, who is by Authorized, the same sire as Nicholls’ smart young hurdler Zubayr. He joined the yard before last Christmas after winning on the Flat.
More a name to note for the future is Cyrname, a fine, big son of Nickname who bolted up at Pau and will come into his own when sent over fences.
SENIOR CHASERS
PAUL NICHOLLS’ solitary Grade 1 win over fences last season came courtesy of Silviniaco ContIin the Ascot Chase. While the ten-year-old’s best days may be behind him, he is still capable of high-class form and will bid for an eighth Grade 1 win over fences in the Champion Chase at Down Royal on November 5. His trainer said: “Apart from when we had him right for Ascot, last season was an absolute nightmare. But he’s looking a lot better physically than he did this time last year, so we’ll get him spot-on for Down Royal and then form a plan for the rest of the season.”
With Saphir Du Rheu failing to live up to the lofty hopes entertained for him this time last year and former champion chaser Dodging Bullets looking to have lost a bit of his speed, the spotlight is on the up-and-coming chasers and Nicholls is hopeful Le Mercurey could improve in his second season. He said of the two-time Grade 2 winner: “His first target is the Grade 2 chase at Down Royal on November 5, where the flat track should suit. He was getting a bit lazy last season – he virtually pulled himself up in front in the Reynoldstown – but we stuck the blinkers on at Ayr and he won impressively.”
So what of Saphir Du Rheu? “After his Carlisle win last autumn I thought he had the chasing world at his feet, but things didn’t go right after that,” said Nicholls. “He was stopping abruptly in his races, so we gave him a soft-palate operation, and I hope a nice summer break will have helped. All I can say is I’ll be disappointed if last season is as good as he is.”
Dodging Bullets was not without his problems either, being forced to sit out the first half of the season with a splint. “He ran no race in defence of his two-mile chase crown but his Celebration Chase third was more encouraging,” said the trainer.“However, the speed he once had doesn’t seem to be there any more, so we’ll look to step him up in trip. There are no firm plans but I can see him getting a King George entry.”
Haldon Gold Cup winner Vibrato Valtat went on to run well in Graded company but proved hard to place, and Nicholls said: “Life isn’t easy for him, so we might try stepping him up in distance. He could start off back in the Haldon Gold Cup again.”
A new handicap star emerged in the spring in the shape of Vicente. Who could have foreseen, when he became the yard’s first winner of last season in a beginners’ chase at Newton Abbot in April, that almost a year later he’d be galloping to victory in the Scottish Grand National? Nicholls described it as “a fairytale” and added a tilt at the Grand National could now be on the cards, although he warned life won’t be so easy off a revised handicap mark.
A National entry could also be handed to the luckless Virak, who rarely ran a bad race last season but kept bumping into better-handicapped rivals. The progressive Vivaldi Collonges is another to look out for in big long-distance handicaps. He jumped his rivals ragged in his three victories last season and the Becher Chase at Aintree is a possible big-race pre-Christmas target.
Another likely improver this winter is Art Mauresque. Despite a busy season he held his form well and Nicholls said: “Now he has learned to relax he’s progressing all the time. He starts on quite a high mark, but we’ll see how he gets on in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree.”
We are warned not to rule out further success for Southfield Theatre. After struggling in the first half of last season, his fourth in the bet365 Gold Cup was far more like it and Nicholls said: “There’s still a big race to be won with this horse.”
The talented but luckless Bouvreuil should be competitive in handicaps. A runner-up at the last two Cheltenham Festivals, he travels well in his races and his assured jumping will stand him in good stead.
Sound Investment, who shot up the ratings on the back of a string of high-class efforts, has recovered from a small tendon injury, and another who has been on the sidelines is Sametegal. But he should be back later on and is one to look out for on good spring ground over two and a half miles.
NOVICE CHASERS
NOTHING went right for Aux Ptits Soins last season. Plagued with sinus problems in the first half of the campaign that required several bouts of surgery, he finally came right but had to go to the World Hurdle without a prep, so in the circumstances he ran well before getting tired.
Nicholls said: “He took a long time to get over that, but has enjoyed a nice summer break and remains an exciting prospect for novice chases. As he’s been back only a fortnight he’s a bit behind the rest, but should be ready to debut in a beginners’ chase towards the end of November.”
The six-year-old’s owner John Hales has two other smart prospects in Politologue and Ibis Du Rheu.
In a slightly up-and-down season, Politologue finished second in the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle but was over the top when down the field in the Coral Cup. Nicholls predicted: “He’s yet to fully develop and I’ve no doubt his best days are ahead of him over fences.”
Ibis Du Rheu atoned for a narrow defeat in the Lanzarote Hurdle when landing the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham. He too is still maturing physically and is taking a bit longer than the others to come to hand, but a switch to fences will be awaited with keen interest.
Nicholls did not attempt to hide his enthusiasm when talking about Old Guard. The five-year-old improved rapidly last autumn, winning the Greatwood and International Hurdle, but Nicholls said: “Things went wrong from then on. I ran him too soon at Kempton and then he suffered a pelvic injury. But just look at him – he’s in fantastic order and I can’t wait to see him jump a fence. He’s Flat-bred but tough enough for chasing and I see him in the mould of Dodging Bullets.”
Plans are fluid but there remains the possibility he might have one more outing over hurdles first.
Improving young hurdler Le Prezien was sold to JP McManus for £290,000 at the end of his novice campaign and big things are expected once he embarks on a chasing career. “He was a star for us last season,” said Nicholls, “ending with a career-best second behind Yorkhill. He’s done very well over the summer and if he continues his improvement he could be a really good novice chaser for us this winter.”
Fresh from a season that netted three victories, two in decent handicaps, The Eaglehaslanded now has his attentions turned to fences and his trainer predicted: “Three miles should bring out the best in him and I can see him developing into a good staying chaser.”
The talented but frustrating Arpege D’Alene still has a bright future over fences according to his trainer, provided his jumping can be sorted out, and “a pair of cheekpieces might help”.
The equally frustrating As De Mee can surely put his experience to good use in his second season over fences.
Nicholls said: “We’ll start low down and work up. He’s capable of landing a good handicap at some stage and will get an entry in the Paddy Power Gold Cup.”
Once the ex-French Mr Mix got the hang of racing British-style he improved quite quickly over hurdles and he was still far from done with when falling in the conditional riders’ handicap at the festival. Still lightly raced, he will probably switch to fences, but not before he has had a crack at Chepstow’s Silver Trophy Hurdle.
The one-time frustrating Emerging Talent finally got his act together over hurdles last season and is regarded as a good chasing prospect “if he proves tough enough for the job”.
Former festival winner Qualando found life harder in his second season, but once he fills his ever-expanding frame he is expected to show a useful level of form over fences.
Warriors Tale was an in-and-out performer last season but a summer breathing operation could lead to greater consistency.
