PNicholls

[b]14:15 Toubab[/b] Realistically, the three of us are just playing for the places here with Sprinter Sacre in the line-up. But the fences still have to be jumped and, as we have seen at this meeting already, Cheltenham can leave its mark on the best of horses - even if horses win races on the bridle at the Festival, they still take plenty out of them - so stranger things have happened. And I think we are fairly well positioned to benefit if the favourite doesn't perform, for one reason or another. Toubab's run at Cheltenham pretty much summed up my Festival - he was brought down when travelling well in the Grand Annual, by Free World, a horse I used to train. But even though he was running off a mark of just 143 there, I think he has the potential to be a bit better and conditions could...

My possible Aintree team had an easy fortnight after Cheltenham, but we are beginning to step them up in their work now. When I say they were given an easy time, we obviously still kept them active. But this would just involve walking one day, cantering the next, in the first week, then a canter every day in the second week and we gave them some half-speed work last Saturday. However, this week, we will really step it up and see how the horses respond. Then we will start to firm up our Aintree plans. But it looks like we will be going to Aintree with both a strong and fresh team, for various reasons, with everything to play for in the trainers' title. Neptune Collonges is my only runner in the Grand National. From what I have seen there isn't a great deal of rain forecast for...

It is the first time in years that I haven't attended the Grand National Weights Lunch, which takes place at the Savoy in London today. But I am simply too busy at the moment, with the big Newbury and Ascot meetings this week. And today was the first time in three weeks that we could school on the grass, and we took advantage by sending out three lots. It was really good to see a couple of Triumph Hurdle winners in Celestial Halo and Zarkandar schooling together. I only have two horses in the National this year, but I am happy enough with the weights they have been allotted. I am actually thrilled with Niche Market's racing weight of 10st 5lb; it's a lovely racing weight and I am obviously pleased to see that Timeform have him as their third top-rated horse in the race behind Weird...

We have made a decision with Mon Parrain, and he goes for the Topham on the Friday at Aintree. Everyone knows how much he surprised, and delighted me, in equal measure at Sandown, and he is clearly a very exciting horse. But for people to talk about him as a Grade 1 horse at this stage is a bit premature, so we have sidestepped the Totesport Bowl on Thursday. At the end of the day he only won a soft handicap off a mark of 133 last time. Of course he was very impressive in winning by 22 lengths, and most people have remarked about his brilliant jumping there. And when he schooled over the National-type fences here he was again awesome. So we think the Topham is the right race for him at this stage of his career, and he looks to have a favourite's chance given luck in-running....

Aintree gets underway on Thursday. Running plans are still to be finalised for a few of my entries but here is my current thinking. Obviously, we will be giving chapter and verse on all my runners each day at 8am at [b]http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/paul-nicholls/[/b] during the Aintree meeting, but I thought it would be a good idea to give you my running plans at this stage. Some are set in stone but quite a few of my horses have multiple entries - and a couple in particular have got me scratching my head - but I have to get them right, and so I may leave the final decision on them until I have studied all the entries. [i]Thursday[/i] We run both Big Buck's and Gwanako in the opening Grade 1 hurdle, and I think Zarkandar - I see the Triumph runner-up Unaccompanied...

The fact that I haven't won the Grand National in 60-odd attempts is sure to get plenty of airtime this week, but it certainly doesn't cause me any sleepless nights. Obviously, it would be great to finally land the big prize, as AP did on Don't Push It last year, but it won't ruin my weekend if we do miss out again. That said, I am leaving no stone unturned in my bid for victory. And for only the second time we have built a couple of National-type fences here. We borrowed a lot of spruce from the local point to point to cover two existing fences here, and they have made a nice test for the horses (see accompanying picture). And we schooled a few horses over them this morning. Niche Market (Harry Skelton; Grand National) schooled with Fistral Beach (Nick Scholfield; Topham). ...

Last weekend showed us never to write off a horse after one moderate run. So I wouldn't be in a rush to pack off Noland into retirement just yet after his admittedly disappointing run at Cheltenham last week, where he was pulled up four out after never really going. AP got off the horse and said not to retire him, and to send him over 3m next. So we are going to send him for the Aon next week, and see what that race tells us. I was quite open before his comeback jumps run last week that I thought he would need it, despite finishing second in a Jumpers' Bumper, though of course he ran very poorly. But last week also illustrated that horses can, and do, bounce back after a poor run; step forward Neptune Collonges. It was great to see him win at Cheltenham. Unfortunately...