the early doors cheltenham snippets thread !

Bobs Worth
"Will probably start off in the Hennessy. I think that's the right race for him and he probably prefers going left-handed rather than right-handed,"


Finian's Rainbow, Long Run, & Riverside Theatre
"The idea would be to step Finian's Rainbow up in trip and really have a look at him. He'd be heading King George way, but then so will Long Run and Riverside Theatre.

"There has to be a clash in the King George I fear, so that's a headache, but it's nice. It's pressure but it's pressure we like dealing with."


Simonsig
"I would have no hesitation coming back to two miles. Barry (Geraghty) just felt that two and a half would help him over hurdles, but I think if he went to fences you'd probably see him coming back to two. I would like to think he's an Arkle horse," said Henderson.

"He definitely stays, he stayed two and a half miles well at Cheltenham, but he's a frightening horse in that his gears are all there. He has a very high cruising speed.

"Every now and then you have to do bits of work with these horses and I would let him play around Sprinter Sacre and things like that.

"It's a bit frightening doing that, but as long as you've got very sensible boys on board, you can do it.

"If you didn't, you could get yourself into a lot of trouble."

Emma Lavelle: Horses returning from injury 24th of July

We are really looking forward to the forthcoming season with plenty of new faces over the stable doors as well as stars from last season, and with Tocca Ferro, Court in Motion and Bouggler all returning from injury, there is plenty to look forward to.

Thanks guys, an excellent idea for a thread.

The King George already looks like a belter.

thanks for clarifing  hendos plans ryan i didnt catch it all .

Didn't stop him from running Long Run in it last season. With so many 3 mile chasers in his stable, and the race worth something like 110k to the winner, I'd be pretty annoyed as an owner if my horse didn't run in a race like that just because the trainer doesn't like the place.

There's also the Charlie Hall.

Last year's wasn't too bad with Weird Al, TFR, Nacarat, Poquelin and Diamond Harry (until the last minute)

^ Agreed. As I mentioned on another thread, I believe Long Run's whole season was butchered at Haydock so interesting to see whether connections go back there. He had an absolute lung-busting first run of the season there and I don't think the quite recovered from it, which is why I fancy him for the Gold Cup this year if they give him an easier re-introduction.

Also agree with Ryan about wanting to see Simonsig and Sprinter charging up the gallops together; you really do need sensible lads for that one! Would be worth getting up at the crack of dawn on a wet and cold autumn morning to see!

^i.e. I think he's peaked and is now on the way down.

Paul Nicholls discusses his horses for this season, part 1

Yesterday was spent at Paul Nicholls' yard in Somerset, where he paraded 83 horses at his annual owners' day, discussing plans for each one. It was an impressive performance by the trainer, who spoke fluently, in detail and without notes.


It was also a fairly impressive performance from the audience, who hung on his every word and admired each animal (they were worth admiring). Just try finding a collection of Flat-racing owners prepared to sit through something like that (in occasional rain!) before being fed and watered.


I've often heard trainers describe a horse as "mad fresh" and now I know what it means. Several of Nicholls' charges appeared determined to break free from their handlers and burst into the crowd.


Some of them behaved more like dragons than horses, craning their necks, throwing their heads about and leaping in the air. Kauto Star, in fact, was one of these bad boys.


Sanctuaire engaged in a particularly dramatic tussle with his lass, about 10 feet from where I was sitting on a bale of sawdust. I looked up from note-taking and was trying to decide if evasive action was going to be necessary when suddenly I found myself on my bum in the mud with my limbs going in all different directions.


The girl on my left had made up her mind first and, in scrambling away, had knocked her neighbours clean off their perches. "I'm sorry," she said, "but I know what that one's capable of." I can confirm that Sanctuaire appeared in robust health.


Anyway, I'm in the process of typing up my notes from the occasion and will report what Nicholls had to say about those in the parade on Talking Horses later today and tomorrow.

Kauto Star

He's an amazing horse and produced two more top-drawer performances last season, when he won the Betfair and the King George. [At this point, KS jumped around a bit and briefly threatened to break away from his handler] As you can see, he's getting older and slower. He came in on Monday and looks outstanding. He's the highest-rated chaser in training. We'll give him a month to six weeks' work and see what happens. Clifford [Baker, head lad] rides him every day and knows him better than anyone. Then we'll have a chat with Clive [Smith, owner]. He'll make the decision [as to whether or not KS will race again] and we'll support whatever decision he makes. It's fully up to him.


Pacha Du Polder

He won three times as a novice chaser last season, including in the Future Champions at Ayr. When we were having a few problems in the yard in spring, he had one moderate run but then he won at Ayr. He's big, strong and scopey. He has to go down the handicap route now and the Hennessy might be his first run of the season. He's a horse we like a lot and you'll see a lot more of him this year.


Dualla Lord

His jumping just let him down last year, when we tried him once over fences and he fell at Cheltenham. We went back to hurdles after that and he won easily at Wincanton in May. We're very hopeful he'll do well over fences this year but he can still run over hurdles and we may look at one run over three miles before sending him back over fences.


Big Buck's

A phenomenal horse and he's only nine years old. As you can see, he's mad fresh, though he's been doing plenty of work. It looks like we need to do a bit more. He'll start off again in the Long Distance at Newbury's Hennessy meeting and follow the well-established route to Ascot, Cheltenham and Aintree. Whether we'll run in the Cleeve as well . . . we'll see. He could be going to the Festival looking for his 20th win on the trot. He's so good over hurdles, there's no point in sending him chasing again.


Sanctuaire

Here's Big Buck's's newest mate [they're now in adjacent boxes]. He did well over hurdles but, since going chasing, he's looked extraordinary. He's the highest-rated novice chaser I've ever had to go into a second season over fences. His first run will be in the Tingle Creek and we'll aim at the Champion Chase.


Rocky Creek

Won a Grade Two novice hurdle at Doncaster but was well below his best at the Cheltenham Festival. He's a big, strong, scopey horse and we're very much looking forward to him running over fences. He'll be ready to run in October if the weather stays as it is.


Toubab

He'll run in two-mile handicap chases. He had a mixed year last time. He won at Sandown but then he was still going well in the Grand Annual at the Festival when he got brought down. He injured himself when he fell at Haydock in November. He's strengthened up enormously over the summer and we might aim him at the Haldon Gold Cup or a handicap chase at Ascot in October. He's definitely improved. A fast-run race suits him.


Keppols Hill

Was with Richard Barber last season and won four point to points. If the ground's on the easy side, he should be ready to run in late October or early November. We look forward to him going novice chasing over three miles.


Ruben Cotter

He's big and scopey and will make a nice chaser. He was a novice hurdler last season and we gave him a bit of time off before he won at Exeter in May. He jumps well over fences and he'll be ready some time in October. He was growing up last season and we should see a more consistent campaign this time.


Unioniste

A half-brother to My Will by Dom Alco, who is also the sire of Neptune Collonges, Al Ferof and Silviniaco Conti. He won a hurdle at Pau in February and then a novice chase at Auteuil in May. He'll go novice chasing and he goes nicely at home. He's fairly strong for a four-year-old and he could run at Cheltenham, either in October or November. A lot of Dom Alcos get better with age and distance.


Fascino Rustico

He was bought at auction in April after hacking up in a bumper at Carlisle. He's big and scopey and he's got chaser written all over him. He thrives on work. We'll keep him to novice hurdles this year and he might take in the bumper at the Paddy Power meeting in November. He'll be a chaser next year.


Italian Master

He was a bit disappointing for us last season, when he was beaten in his two novice hurdles, and I don't think he really acclimatised. He's strengthened up over the summer and he's got a handicap mark, so we may not bother with hurdles any more and put him straight into handicap chases. I think you'll see a much-improved horse this year.


Themilanhorse

He won four novice hurdles last season, which very few horses ever do. He jumps super and he looks a ready-made winner of a novice chase. We might try him first in the three-mile handicap hurdle at Cheltenham's Paddy Power meeting in November. He can run any time we like over fences and sons of Milan will get better with age. He goes well on good ground.


Kauto Stone

He won impressively at Down Royal on his first start for us last year but his season tailed off from there. He was a bit the same in France, running well in the autumn and then losing his way in spring. He's had a breathing operation because I think he used to get wound up in his races and panic. He definitely wants to go three miles and his first run will be over that distance at Down Royal again. He looks fantastic, he's had time to acclimatise and that makes a big difference to some horses.


Ted Spread

Won a handicap hurdle at Taunton in January and he was involved in the County Hurdle until he got interfered with. He'll probably go to Ascot on 29 October and then the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham in November. He's a horse to follow on decent ground.


Criqtonic

He joined us in the middle of last season and had one run, finishing second to Kumbeshwar in a novice chase, which is good form. He fell apart after that but he's done incredibly well over the summer. Some of these horses from France need time to acclimatise and strengthen up. The race we won at Wetherby with Fistral Beach last October might be a suitable race to start him in.


Sametegal

A lovely looking three-year-old who won a juvenile hurdle at Enghien in Paris in April before coming to us. He's improved enormously over the last month and might be ready to run in the middle of October at Chepstow. We like what we see from him and he's an interesting horse to follow. Recent changes to the rules mean that he can compete in juvenile hurdles all season but he's likely to be a chaser in time.


Dildar

We had high hopes for him last year but he was a bit disappointing. He's a big, strong horse who took a while to get over the gelding operation, after which he had a bit of an infection. He could be well handicapped for the start of the season. He's had a breathing operation and I'll aim him at 13 October at Chepstow, where they have a four-year-old handicap hurdle. If he's not ready for then, there will be plenty of opportunities for him.


Dark Lover

He missed last season with a leg injury. His handicap mark of 120 is very winnable and we might start him off in a handicap hurdle but it won't be too long before he goes chasing.


Pepe Simo

He's won over fences and hurdles for us but he hasn't been seen since October because of a leg injury. We'll continue to mix and match chases and hurdles with him and he's well capable of winning more races.

Any news on Go Native?

Eduardo Sol - was the surprise package among Nicholls chasers last season - take out Hunt Ball and he must have been the most improved chaser in training. Starts off 157 such is his enthusiasm for the game further improvement can't be ruled out. He's likely to mix + match hurdling and chasing again and may start of in Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter on Nov 6th.

The Minack wasn't mentioned Shockster.

Nicholls PTP - Comeonginger - brother to Brindisi Breeze. Nov Hurdles this year and they really like him a lot.
Bucks Bond - Won twice - falling others. Goes Nov Chasing. Related to Big Bucks.
Keppols Hill - Won several PTP in Ireland - Goes Nov Chasing.
Nitrogen - Half Brother to Best Mate - won only start.
Provo - 5th in NHF and then won PTP - Staying Nov Hurdler.
Urubu D'Iralnde - Goes Nov Hurdling - won only PTP showing turn of foot.
Cowards Close - Goes Nov Hurdling - Stayer on soft - won at Dromahane last April.
Fox Run - 4yr old - NHF then Hurdle won PTP in good style.
McIlhatton - Won over 2m 5f well and NHF and then hurdles.
Sound Investment - Fell at last when in front in Feb. Bought by G.Wylie + goes Nov Hurdling.
Wilton Milan - Big/Raw 4yr old - looks chaser but goes hurdling this year.

Is Zarkander going chasing or staying hurdling and if the latter, over which trip ?

Cheers for info 3132 and Fabulous although not heard about retirement.

see above for other horses, maybe the minack has been let go.

I have to say after reading through all of Nicholls stable now, it doesn't look as exciting as previous years, plenty of youngsters but not as many superstars.

Long Run is gagging for a bit of Soft ground imo.

Long Run gagging for a bit of soft ground and 4 miles around chepstow

http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/video-paul-nicholls-owners-open-day/1108499/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews

One on the RP site, nt great but worth a look