Tag: Paul Nicholls

Sandown Saturday Preview – Farewell to The Champ

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The day has finally arrived for Tony McCoy to hang up his boots. The twenty times Champion National Hunt jockey will sign off with two rides at Sandown in front of a sell-out crowd on Saturday afternoon. Both are in the colours of his leading long-time patron JP McManus and are certain to carry a vast amount of sentimental support. If McCoy does not use up too much energy on Mr Mole and Box Office, he is still certain to be kept busy by the autograph hunters.

Sandown’s flat race card on Friday produced a couple of turn-ups and left trainer Charles Hills fuming at the state of the ground. He felt that the course officials had over-watered in preparation for Saturday’s jump card and does not intend to support the meeting next year. That will at least be good news for the majority of jump trainers who have produced a very competitive card for the final day of the season.

The opening handicap can go to Alzammaar who looked destined to finish third last time out. He kept finding more for pressure and eventually reeled in the leader to win going away. He is up in the handicap but Sandown’s still finish might suit him.

Al Ferof is the class act in the next, one of three runners for Paul Nicholls. The grey has twice finished third in the King George VI but has never really been convincing over three miles. This two and three-quarter mile trip looks perfect for him. Royal Rebellion ran well in the Grand National for a long way and he could give him most to do, providing his Aintree exertions do not catch up with him.

As well as the inevitable support for Mr Mole in the Celebration Chase, there is also the reappearance of Sprinter Sacre to look forward to. He ran very flat at the festival and Nicky Henderson may be forced to call time on his career if he does not show any sparkle on Saturday. Special Tiara can bounce off this ground and may be difficult to peg back.

The Bet365 Gold Cup, formerly The Whitbread, has attracted a host of Aintree disappointments including the Nicholls pair of Rocky Creek and Unioniste. Both are capable of putting up a bold show here but preference is just for Le Reve who seems better here than anywhere else. He is better off at the weights with Rocky Creek for his defeat in the Racing Post Chase and can give Leighton Aspell another big prize.

Box Office may win the 4.25 for McCoy but he does not look any value at around 7-2. I’m going to take a chance on the improving Wilberdragon while Polly Peachum is well treated in the last. Nicky Henderson’s mare is much better on decent ground and may have most to fear from the consistent Aqalim.

Alzammaar 2.00 @5-1 Coral

Al Ferof 2.35 @11-4 Bet365

Special Tiara 3.15 @7-2 Bet365

Le Reve 3.50 @9-1 Paddy Power

Wilberdragon 4.25 @9-1 Bet365

Polly Peachum 5.35 @15-8 Paddy Power

Might Bite can strike for Henderson at Cheltenham

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The National Hunt season is in its final stages and the clock is running down on Tony McCoy’s magnificent career. The twenty times Champion jockey produced a power-packed finish to win on Un Ace at Ascot recently and he has a chance to repeat the dose on Wednesday.

Kim Bailey’s gelding looked well beaten until Royal Regatta began to tie up in front of him. This is a very quick return to action for Un Ace but he only has three rivals. The pick of them looks to be Cloud Creeper who was very impressive last time out at Leicester on softer ground.

The feature race is the Teenage Cancer Trust Silver Trophy at 3.50.  There are three course winners in the field and preference is for Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Caid Du Berlais. He can be forgiven his pulled up next time as he slithered to a halt after jumping the water. He is better judged on his big race form and the Nicholls team are ending the season in fine form.

The best bet of the day could be Nicky Henderson’s Might Bite in the opening novices’ hurdle. He won very easily at Newbury last time over a similar trip and looks one to follow. Financial Climate doesn’t know how to run a bad race and represents the Grand National winning trainer Oliver Sherwood in the 2.40.

Sean Bowen enjoyed his first Grand National ride aboard Mon Parrain for Nicholls on Saturday and he has a winning opportunity on San Benedeto in the 5.30. He was long odds-on when getting off the mark last time out and this is a lot more competitive but he seems to have got in on a lenient weight.

Bowen qualified to ride in the National with only days to spare but rode two trebles to show that he is a young rider going places. He can enhance his reputation with a Cheltenham winner here.

Races don’t come much tougher to sort out than the twenty-runner Novices’ Hurdle at 4.25. The bookmakers were going 8-1 the field on Tuesday evening and that says it all. New Horizons stuck on well last time out for Henderson and is a tentative selection while Polamco would not be out of it if you forget his poor run last time.

Might Bite 2.05 @11-8 Ladbrokes

Financial Climate 2.40 @6-1 BetVictor

Greybougg 3.15 @13-2 BetVictor

Caid Du Berlais 3.50 @6-1 Ladbrokes

New Horizons 4.25 @6-1 Ladbrokes

Un Ace 5.00 @5-4 Bet365

San Benedeto @7-4 Coral

Aintree Friday Preview

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Day 1 of the Grand National provided its usual share of thrills and spills, unfortunately including our selection Arctic Fire crashing out at the last in the Aintree Hurdle. On The Fringe spared us from a complete whitewash but it would have been so much better had Call The Cops held on in the last.

Friday’s card, dare I say it, looks even tougher at first glance. The first race is a wide open two and a half mile handicap. I was taken by the style of Theinval when he won at Kempton on similar ground and he just about gets the vote at a tempting 11-1. Pearl Swan and Snake Eyes are others to note but you could probably make a case for half of the field.

I’ll probably bring the Nicky Henderson stable to a grinding halt but I fancy Cardinal Walter to run well in the second as well. I was surprised when he was beaten by Qewy at Newbury but this quicker surface could see the form turned on its head.

If there is a “good thing” on Friday, it is probably Saphir Du Rheu. He was runner-up in the World Hurdle and now has a second tilt at a chasing career having fluffed his lines at Kempton last time. He is the class horse of the race but you wouldn’t want to take too short a price.

The Melling Chase is a real cracker with Sire De Grugy, Don Cossack and Champagne Fever heading the field. Champagne Fever was bitten by a stable companion on his journey over for the festival so missed the Queen Mother Champion Chase. I believe that two and a half miles is probably more his trip anyway.

The Topham Chase looks almost impossible to solve but I’m going to take a stab with Bless The Wings for Gordon Elliott. The stable had a first day double and this one is very well weighted with Darna on previous form. Likewise, Mouse Morris has his table firing on all cylinders so Alpha Des Obeaux looks overpriced in the 4.40. He was second to Doucan last time out, admittedly without getting the Supreme Hurdle winner off the bridle, but this looks wide open.

Finally, Paul Nicholls can continue a fine meeting for the stable with Persian Delight in the closing bumper. He cruised home in a poor race on his debut but is highly regarded at home.

Theinval 1.40 @11-1 Bet365

Cardinal Walter 2.15 @8-1 Paddy Power

Saphir Du Rheu 2.50 @7-4 Totesport

Champagne Fever 3.25 @10-3 Coral

Bless The Wings 4.05 @22-1 Ladbrokes

Alpha Des Obeaux 4.40 @18-1 Bet365

Persian Delight 5.15 @4-1 Paddy Power

Newbury Friday Preview

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National Hunt racing is pretty quiet this week as the big stables take stock of Cheltenham and prepare for the upcoming Grand National meeting at Aintree. Newbury has managed to put together a decent card on Friday and we have selections in the first three races on the card.

The opening novices hurdle at 2.30 can go the way of Mr Dinosaur for Paul Nicholls. He arrives at Ditcheat with a big reputation from the point-to-point scene after being snapped up by the Wylie family. He looked in a different league to his rivals last time and this two miles and five furlongs looks the ideal starting point.

The likely danger is Nicky Henderson’s Mite Bite, third here in a National Hunt flat race on his only previous outing. David Pipe’s Sadler’s Gold was backed as if defeat was out of the question at Plumpton last time but trailed in a dismal fifth.

Nicholls has a chance of a quick double with top weight Katgary in the next after a decent run at Kempton when sixth to Theinval. However, there are a couple of progressive types here in Chosen Well and Ugolin De Beaumont. Chosen Well has won his last three races and was particularly impressive at Exeter last time. He was in front a long way from the finish and may have further improvement to come.

I’m just going to pass him over in favour of Ugolin De Beaumont who won by 22 lengths at Chepstow last time. He could be named the winner as they turned for home and bounded clear with his rider looking around for dangers. His victory was just a bit more eye-catching than that of Chosen Well and he gets the vote.

There are three horses chasing back-to-back successes in the third race at 3.40. Nigel Hawke’s Kadalkin responded well to pressure to win at Doncaster while Owen Na View and Morning Reggie are turned out again quickly under a penalty.

Owen Na View took a keen hold under Paddy Brennan here last week and made a bit of a hash of the third last before bounding clear to win by 11 lengths. He is going up three furlongs in trip and that may not be ideal for a hard pulling sort. The vote here goes to Morning Reggie who stormed clear in a four-runner race at Warwick and gets in here with bottom weight. Oliver Sherwood has always had faith in the grey son of Turgeon and he can defy a penalty. Hopefully a Patent on the three can bring a return ahead of a busy weekend of racing at home and abroad.

Mr Dinosaur 2.30 @5-2 Bet365

Ugolin De Beaumont 3.05 @11-2 Betfair

Morning Reggie 3.40 @7-2 Skybet

Grand National – 74 remain after latest declaration stage

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There are 74 horses remaining in the £1million Aintree Grand National on April 11th after thirteen were taken out on Tuesday.

As expected, Carlingford Lough was withdrawn after a disappointing run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Also out are: Rolling Aces, Alderwood, Boston Bob, Shotgun Paddy, Theatrical Star, Roi Du Mee, Katenko, Living Next Door, Make A Track, Prince De Beauchene, Cedre Bleu and Buddy Bolero.

The good news for followers of our ante-post advice is that Monbeg Dude has been given the all-clear despite a poor run at Cheltenham. Connections could find nothing wrong with the horse physically and have decided that he resented the tongue-strap which will not be used at Aintree.

Our other selections also remain in contention with Shutthefrontdoor, Spring Heeled and Cause Of Causes all prominent in the betting. We highlighted the chance of Shutthefrontdoor prior to Cheltenham and his price has collapsed from 20-1 to 8-1. Champion jockey Tony McCoy will almost certainly be on board the favourite and has said that victory in the race may well be the perfect time to retire.

Spring Heeled (tipped at 33-1) is now a top priced 20-1 for Jim Culloty who still has top weight Lord Windermere entered in the race. Jockey Davy Russell has joined Barry Geraghty on the side lines through injury while Bryan Cooper is suspended. Russell revealed earlier this week that Culloty had removed him from the ride on Lord Windermere after his poor run in the Gold Cup. He became detached soon after the start and was eventually pulled up. The ground had gone against him on the day but Culloty clearly was not satisfied with Russell’s performance.

Paul Nicholls intends to run all six of his remaining entries headed by Rocky Creek and Unioniste. Rocky Creek looks the obvious pick after finishing fifth last year and putting up a lifetime best to win at Kempton last time out. Unioniste could yet emerge as one of the gambles of the race if the going becomes soft.

Last week we added Cause Of Causes to our portfolio at 33-1 and he is now a top price 20-1. He also races in the JP McManus colours carried by Shutthefrontdoor.

If you have not yet had a bet on the race, look out for non-runner – no bet terms. Bet365, Totesport, Betfred, Stan James and Betfair are already offering this provision.

Cheltenham blog – Dodging Bullets wins Champion Chase

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After the excitement of the Willie Mullins big four on Tuesday, there was a more relaxed mood at Cheltenham on Wednesday. The highlight of the day was the Queen Mother Champion Chase with three former winners up against the promising Dodging Bullets.

The race was robbed of one key ingredient when Champagne Fever was withdrawn and, with all due to respect to Dodging Bullets, it turned into a bit of an anti-climax. There had always been a big question mark as to whether or not Sprinter Sacre could recapture his best form and he was never travelling with his usual zest.

He was eventually pulled up by Barry Geraghty while Sire de Grugy also ran very flat, running on at one pace into fourth. All credit to Dodging Bullets who has done exactly what Sire de Grugy did a year before, winning the key trials and confirming his status as the best two-miler of the season.

Nicholls had earlier won the Coral Cup when the French import Aux Ptits Soins held off Zabana, Activial and Taglietelle in a driving finish. Don Poli ran out a comfortable winner of the RSA Chase but I don’t imagine that there will be a stampede to take the miserly 6-1 offered about him for next year’s Gold Cup. He looks a bit of a character and was continuously pricking his ears up the home straight. Kings Palace once again failed to fire on the big day and finished a remote sixth for David Pipe.

Nicholls went on to complete a 1430-1 treble when Qualando won the Fred Winter Hurdle from stable companion Bouvreuil. Bookmakers will probably deny it but they ought to be well ahead on the second day with only two successful favourites. Many of their big race offers were on Sire de Grugy and Sprinter Sacre and they will all stay firmly in their satchels.

Coral New Customer Offer

Coral are offering new customers 5-1 about Vautour finishing in the first three in Thursday’s opening race. This is limited to a maximum stake of £10. He looks likely to start at around the 9-4 mark as he bids to add to the Mullins winning tally.

Market Movers

Thursday – Edeymi (Pertemps Final) 8-1 Bet365

Thursday – Un Ace (Festival Plate) 10-1 William Hill

Friday – Quick Jack (County Hurdle) 10-1 Sportingbet