First Lieutenant needs to be held up till the very last second. He does not do a tap in front. He would have a right chance in Gold Cup on decent ground. A right chance.
Who said Paul Nichols had no horses left - scary when you read this o_O
After an excellent start to the season for Paul Nicholls, there is plenty of optimism at Ditcheat about the year ahead. The Betfair Ambassador exclusively reveals his plans for the coming months, including news on the likes of Silviniaco Conti, Tidal Bay, Big Buckâs and ZarkandarâŚ
We have had a great season so far but January is traditionally a quiet time for us, which not only allows me to re-charge my batteries with a short break away, but also to make some detailed, if tentative, plans for the horses.
So while the following plans are far from definite at this stage - I will obviously continue to talk everything through with the owners, and the horsesâ well-being nearer the time dictates all anyway - I thought that it would be a good idea to run you through my current thinking for most of my top horses.
There were plenty more exciting horses that I could have mentioned - and I will give a further update on them in a fortnightâs time - but simply didnât have the space!
I know a lot of you like to have a bet antepost at[B]Cheltenham[/B][/URL] and [URL=âhttp://www.betfair.com/exchange/horse-racing/market?id=1.108848154&marketViewDisplayType=EXCHANGEâ][B]Aintree[/B], so I must stress that these plans are not set in stone. Hopefully, they are a useful guide though.
By the end of next week all the horses would have had their mid-season flu jabs - they donât tend to run for at least 14 days after having those - and we can really kick on again.
First off, our King George winner Silviniaco Conti will almost certainly go straight to the Gold Cup. Kempton third Al Ferof will take in the Denman Chase at Newbury next month before we decide whether to go down the Ryanair or Gold Cup route with him.
Even though he ran a career-best on ratings, the Lexus told us that Unioniste is probably not good enough for the Gold Cup just yet - you have to remember that he is still only a six-year-old - but he will get an entry just in case the ground comes up bottomless. My immediate target for him is a conditions race over 3m2f at Kelso next month, with the 2015 Grand National further down the line!
Hennessy runner-up Rocky Creek is fine after his little setback after Newbury and goes for the Argento at Cheltenham on January 25, and he will get an entry for the Gold Cup as well as the Grand National.
I would think that our Welsh National third Tidal Bay - what a star he is, by the way - will now go straight to Aintree.
Chepstow runner-up Hawkes Point will go to the Haydock Grand National Trial in February en route to Aintree, while Thereâs No Panic will also have a Grand National entry but we will wait for better ground for his next run.
Sire Collonges will have an Aintree entry, but first he will take in the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham, whileRolling Aces will go for the Ascot Chase over 2m5f next month and have a Ryanair entry.
Of my novices, Wonderful Charm will probably go straight to Cheltenham. Dodging Bullets will go to the Kingmaker at Warwick on February 8, and my other Arkle hopeHinterland could go to Ascot for what was the Victor Chandler, but is more likely to take in Doncaster on the January 25. Both will have a Champion Chase entry, too, though - if you havenât got a ticket, then you canât win it.
Caid Du Berlais is a horse that has gone under the radar somewhat - until now anyway! - but I am quite excited by him and he could take in the Scilly Isles at Sandown and then the Pendil at Kempton next. He will have an Arkle and Jewson entry.
Black Thunder will run at Warwick a week on Saturday, and then hopefully go straight to the RSA at Cheltenham. He goes nicely when fresh. And our Newbury winner Benvoliowill have one more run before going for the Reynoldstown at Ascot next month, a race we won with Rocky Creek last year.
And I have some exclusive news for you on our Feltham disappointment Just A Par. We scoped him on Sunday morning, and it confirmed what we had expected after Kempton, and he has had his palate cauterised.
Thatâs not a full breathing operation, and so doesnât require that much rest, so he will run again in mid-February on decent ground. He could be a horse who misses Cheltenham, and goes straight to Aintree, though. But we will see.
Sam Winner will run in the 3m novice chase on Betfairâs Super Saturday at Newbury on February 8, and will have entries in the RSA and the four-miler at Cheltenham.
The legend that is Big Buckâs is being aimed at the Cleeve Hurdle but I would possibly like to get one more racecourse gallop into him before then, and Zarkandar will also get a[B]World Hurdle[/B] entry. He may come into his own over 3m on better ground, but we will possibly take in the National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell before then. But I will sit down with Chris and Jared and make a plan there.
Celestial Halo will hopefully be back cantering next week after his recent setback - he was lame before the Long Walk - and Salubrious will definitely get a World Hurdle entry, too.
Ptit Zig could go for the Haydock Champion Hurdle Trial on January 18 and then Wincanton afterwards, and he will get a [B]Champion Hurdle[/B] entry just in case it comes up heavy there. He is rated 159 after finishing second under top weight in the Ladbroke, so handicaps are now out of the equation.
I can reveal that we found Far West to be suffering from stomach ulcers after disappointing last time and he is being aimed at the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury next month, possibly along with the unbeaten Irving, who is Supreme-bound.
After talking to Axomâs racing manager Dan Downey this morning, we decided not to run Irving in such testing ground in the Tolworth at Sandown tomorrow.
Of my juveniles, I think Newbury winner Calipto, [B]Triumph Hurdle[/B] favourite in some places I gather, needs some more experience, so I may run him in a novice hurdle in the next fortnight, at somewhere like Ascot or Taunton, before going for the Adonis at Kempton next month.
I was thrilled by Vicenzo Mio at Kempton and he goes for a Grade 2 hurdle at Cheltenham on the 25th; he is improving by leaps and bounds.
And if those arenât enough updates for you, I will also throw in the fact that impressive Sandown winner Saphir Du Rheu is heading for the Lanzarote next!
On a more serious note, things are going really well for Team Ditcheat at the moment and we have plenty of ammunition still to fire in the second half of the season. And we canât wait.
But everyone in the racing game knows the next bad spell is never too far away, so we are keeping our feet firmly on the ground here, as we always do.
I must stress though that these plans are not set in stone. Things do change rapidly in racing.
Which only leaves me to wish you all a happy and prosperous 2014.
I still maintain heâs a better horse than Sir Des Champs and a better stayer but owners never give him the chance to prove it as SDC always got the preference. His last 2 Lexus runs show what he can do over further so I hope he gets a GC run, especially now with Cooper on board.
she wony 4
more likely they will put pressure on fenton to deliver last installment for march on gnd he wont like (good)
Bobs Worth put FL in his place in the 2012 RSA and would do it again if required so I can understand owners throwing their lot in with SDC last year. Sadly for them he gave that one a right going over too. The Gold Cup is a three horse race between Bob, Silvie and Cue Card, assuming he gets his ground
Sandown tolworth card gone due to weather
Monksland back in full work. If himself and Boston bob make the world along with solwhit and big bucks and Annie power it could be the best renewal in years
You left out the winner KC;)
Go on?
More Of That.
Yrs yes yesâŚ
Although if Annie power is proven to stay she could be frightening
What about Big Bucks?
Ignore that last post
Terry Biddlecombe RIP
Nice one.
Who was it said Christy would not train lassie to bark?
The Clique - mark II:clap:
Hope I was in touch with most of ye. Hope that makes up for the few quid ye lost on my âtippingâ thread.
[quote=âciarancareyshurlingarmy, post: 882523, member: 464â]Nice one.
Who was it said Christy would not train lassie to bark?[/quote]
I love it when a plan comes together:)
:mad: