PAUL Nicholls is raring to go as the Cheltenham Festival edges closer.
The champion trainer is preparing a strong team for next month’s big meeting and shares the latest news on his Festival hopefuls.
Clan Des Obeaux – Gold Cup
Clan Des Obeaux is obviously a dual King George winner and looks absolutely fantastic in his coat.
He was one of eight horses we took to Wincanton this morning, and he did a proper workout with Frodon over two miles.
Last year, we went from Kempton to the Denman Chase, which was put back a week, and then to Cheltenham.
We are coming in with a different preparation this year because we have worked out that he is best when fresh.
He is very effective when he is very fit and very fresh – I think he is lethal on those terms. I think he is my best chance of the week.
Frodon – Ryanair Chase
He had ulcers after the Betfair Chase, so we got them cleared up and then tuned him up for Kempton.
I thought he’d win and he did quite nicely. He has improved a lot since and worked very well with Clan Des Obeaux this morning.
He was his usual, free, enthusiastic self and gave Clan a good tow and kept on galloping.
He loves this time of the year and is back where he wants to be. He is in the Gold Cup but is almost certain to run in the Ryanair again.
He loves the New Course at Cheltenham and is ready to defend his crown. I think he will run very well again.
Dynamite Dollars – Champion Chase
He had a great season last year as a novice chaser, winning four including the Henry VIII at Sandown. He was doing really well but unfortunately got hurt when he won at Doncaster, which meant he missed the rest of the season.
We got him back in October and the plan was to always run him in the Game Spirit en route to the Champion Chase.
For a horse who was having his first run outside of novice company, having not run for a year, I thought it was a blinding run at Newbury to be beaten three and a half lengths behind Altior.
He has improved enormously since that run and worked very nicely at Wincanton this morning. He won’t mind if it keeps raining and is a real lively outsider in my book.
He does not need to improve too much on his Newbury run to be in the right mix, and he is bound to improve on that run.
Politologue – Champion Chase
He was just beaten by Defi Du Seuil at Cheltenham in November giving him weight. He then ran ordinarily in the Tingle Creek and we found out he bled.
We have purposely not run him since then, with the idea of going to Cheltenham, as he is very effective when fresh. He was one of the horses we took to Wincanton this morning.
He has had a great preparation and it does not matter how much it keeps raining because that will suit him.
I think at 33/1 he is a lively outsider in the Champion Chase. He was not beaten far last year and basically jumped the last upsides Altior.
Solo – Triumph Hurdle
We loved what we saw from him heading into Kempton. He was actually meant to run at Wincanton a few weeks ago but that meeting was off.
I am glad we went to Kempton because he gave us that wow factor and we realised just what we have on our hands.
I was worried that, having been around a big galloping track at Auteuil in France, Kempton may catch him out a bit not being a Flat horse, but he coped with it well. Harry (Cobden) was very impressed.
He has a mark of 157, which is not far off some of the horses in the Champion Hurdle.
It would be interesting in that with an 8lb four-year-old allowance, but he will run in the Triumph Hurdle. That’s his job and he should go very, very well.
Sir Psycho – Triumph Hurdle
He will definitely run in the Triumph Hurdle. We thought he was our main contender until Solo came out last week.
He has progressed really well from a slow start. He was a bit of a jack the lad to start with at home, but he is doing everything right now.
At Exeter on New Year’s Day, he won a novices’ hurdle by 36 lengths and to make sure that was not a fluke we went off to Haydock for the Victor Ludorum, and he absolutely hosed in again.
He has a mark of 146, which puts him right up there with the top juveniles. A fast-run race will suit, and he will gallop up the hill.
Greaneteen – Grand Annual
He’s won all three of his starts over fences, having won two over hurdles last year.
He won at Ascot first time out, then went on to Musselburgh and Fakenham last week. That was his third run which enabled me to qualify him to run in the Grand Annual.
He is now rated 150 and, although he is in the Arkle as well, I think that is a tough race. If we thought he could win an Arkle, he should go very well in a Grand Annual off of 150.
He is one of the favourites and a fast-run race will suit. The idea would be Cheltenham and then onto Aintree for the Grade 1 novices’ chase.
Mick Pastor – Boodles Juvenile Hurdle
Mick Pastor is another nice four-year-old. He joined us in the summer after winning his only start in the spring at Auteuil.
We went to Cheltenham with him in November and he pulled very, very hard. He did not really go in the ground either and it was a bit of a disaster.
We found out he had ulcers and treated him for that. He was much more amenable at Ludlow and absolutely bolted in. We have kept him back since.
He has a mark of 140, which puts him in between the horses at the top of the Boodlesand those in the Triumph.
I have not spoken to JP McManus’ team, but I suspect he will run in the Boodles. He worked at Wincanton this morning and went nicely.
Thyme White – Boodles Juvenile Hurdle
Thyme White will run in the Boodles. He was second to Goshen on his debut at Sandown, second at Kempton over Christmas and then won the Musselburgh Triumph Hurdle Trial a fortnight ago.
He has a rating of 133 and I think he can do something off that mark. He is progressing and the Boodles is a race we have done well in.
I would think this lad will have a leading chance. He is a proper horse who will make a lovely chaser one day.
Quel Destin – County Hurdle
He ran second on Sunday in what was a bit of an odd running of the National Spirit at Fontwell.
I have often thought he was a horse who keeps a bit for himself and on a couple of occasions I have very nearly put cheekpieces on him.
I wish I did on Sunday because he went to the front, hung a bit and pulled himself up, and sort of threw the race away.
He is in the County Hurdle off top weight and if it came up testing, with the weights being so condensed and Bryan Carver claiming 5lb, it may be worth looking at.
Saint Sonnet – Marsh Chase
Saint Sonnet won nicely at Catterick on Tuesday. The plan is for him to run in the Marsh Novices’ Chase.
If it dried up he could run in the RSA, but the Marsh is the main aim. He will improve tons from Catterick and there is more to come from him.
Alcala – Foxhunters
Alcala didn’t have a great prep as he had to go to Fontwell on Sunday, so he needs to get over that race.
I think if we can get him back to his best, he is not without a chance in a race where five or six could conceivably win.
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