Paul Nicholls - Guide to his horses for 2013-2014 season

He has the ammo to plot some big handicap wins, but he won't be competing in open company in Grade 1s unless bucks comes back right. He needs his bumper horses and novice hurdlers for chasing to step d fook up. it is the same **** from him every year for the last few, 'shell of a horse', time for them to harden up or ship out.

Cheers Howdi. Will have a read of that.

Still at the yard as far as I'm aware.

There's a few decent horses that don't get a mention in the article: Irish Saint, Poungach, Prospect Wells, Ranjaan, Shooters Wood etc.

staying novice chasing is hinterland

Tidal Bay will run in the same races as last year according to PN.

I was trying to find a handicap mark for Hinterland on the BHA site & there was no record on there. That's usually a good guide that a horse is no longer in training in the UK.

Love this.

Sam Winner This is a horse that made a fool of Ruby and I last season. He ran well on his reappearance at Sandown, Ruby jumped off and said, don't run him again before the Pertemps and he'll win it. Of course, we listen to Ruby, so we didn't run him over hurdles again, though he won a jumpers bumper at Kempton in January. Then in the Pertemps, he ran an absolute stinker, jumping moderately; we were mystified. Anyway, he's come back fresh and well. He'll have a sharpener over hurdles and then he'll go novice chasing again. [He ran twice over fences two seasons ago but fell both times]

Lac Fontana Third behind Forgotten Voice at Kempton in February, he ran as well as could be expected when eighth in the Triumph. He's a maiden for this season, which is ideal. He was inexperienced with his jumping in the Triumph but he's done incredibly well this summer, he's really strengthened up, he's already been schooling and he jumps nicely. He might run at Chepstow in mid-October and hopefully he can progress as Dodging Bullets did last season.

^^ Decent form given what FV did on the flat this summer! What price for the Supreme?