Kauto Stone

yes he is a novice isnt he

No.

7.3 In respect of any steeple chase which is run in The Jump Season 2011/2012 and is not within Paragraph 7.2, a horse is a Novice if the horse has not won a steeple chase before April 24th, 2011.

He's not a novice which is why I asked about the Ryanair

Hard to say. Looks like he stays a bit further perhaps? Only ever run on very soft ground or worse, generally over 22 f. Presumably, if they are aiming him at the Ryanair he'll pop up in the Paddy Poor/Boyalsparts.

Struggling to think of anything else he could be aimed at at the festival

calm down

I reckon he could miss Chelt all together this year.

Boat from what I've seen of him thus far ie. all his runs in France - relatively one paced so imagine he'll be in the big staying handicap chases (Hennessy, Welsh National etc)

How many plodders win the Hennessey? The Welsh National on the other hand....

Enough of them run in it though and it is the first big staying chase of the year so would expect him to turn up there.

Nicholls wants 1833 to win the Hennessey though

1833 is overhyped by nicholls,cant help thinking he might have something else for the hennessey

^He's happy to run a few - 5 last year iirc.

i think 1833 is very badly handicapped. nicholls says hes the apple of his eye, i think he thinks the horse is something that its not

Diamond Harry was pulled up in RSA before winning the Hennessey. I wouldn't be underestimating 1833. He's a very good horse he's just been very weak and slow to mature. He will be the no.1 Nicholls horse from the indications I have had. As for Kauto Stone is he really that slow. Think he's being aimed at the race The Nightingale won last year at Down Royal. That was over 2m4...

And I mean no.1 for Hennessey not in general..

diamond harry ran off 156, 1833 will run off 152. diamod harry showed a high level of form, repeatedly beating very good horses. 1833 has got his rating for beating poor horses far / beating shambolic jumpers. i havent seen one piece of form from 1833 which is worthy of a 152 rating!

i could be way off the mark, but i make him a 135ish horse

nicholls is adamant though as far back as cheltenham preview night which i attended

he was also adamant hed go well n the rsa was he not?

mdhag staying over hurdles i heard

I'd be surprised if MD doesn't jump a fence again tbh, not saying he should, but I'd just be surprised if he doesn't. BB and OW are a big obstacle, and with THIS horse, I can't see them being happy to go small pot staying hurdle hunting at Navan in Febuary in Irish Grade 2's

I've been going through his form in France. I think he may be being slightly underestimated at the moment. When you look how Mon Parain has ran over here since joining Nicholls, Kauto Stone could be anything!

Read today that 1833 had sore shins in/after the RSA which they think explains his relatively poor run.