PNicholls

[b]Paul Nicholls reveals that three of his horses will be entered in big contests at Down Royal and Wetherby next weekend.[/b] We have had 13 winners in the last fortnight, so things are clearly going well, but most of mine have been needing the run, win or lose. There have been disappointments along the way, notably Pacha Du Polder at Aintree yesterday. But I think that run showed us that he wants a trip, and he will go for three-miler on the Friday of the Tingle Creek meeting at Sandown in December. But when you target a big race you have them well tuned up, and that will be the case with Kauto Stone, Cristal Bonus and Silviniaco Conti next weekend. They will be ready to run for their lives. They all worked well yesterday morning, and the first two go to Down Royal next weekend...

I will not be a happy man if the cold weather sticks around claims the "Betfair Super Saturday" meeting at Newbury on February 11. Because I have a strong team heading for the meeting - as no doubt you will be reading about in the papers on Tuesday, as I host a press day here for Newbury racecourse and Betfair here this morning. But you may as well read about my Newbury team here first, so here goes. At this stage, ante-post favourite Zarkandar (Daryl Jacob) and Brampour (Harry Derham) are my two definite runners in the Betfair Hurdle, Europe's richest handicap hurdle. And Empire Levant could also join them. What a Friend was a sick horse after Wetherby but he is in really good form at the moment and is my number one hope in the Betfair Denman Chase. He carried a 10lb penalty...

I have more new recruits in the yard than ever before this year - well over 50 if you factor in the arrivals from Graham Wylie - so it is still a case of 'getting to know you' with a lot of them. As such, I could give you any number of Ten To Follow lists and miss out some high fliers. In fact, I hope as many as possible surprise me as much as the likes of Silviniaco Conti did last year. But two novice hurdlers that I know I would suggest following are Polisky and Jump City. And I clearly rate Sam Winner as a 2m novice chaser, and in that department look out for Escort'men, too. At 2m+ on the chase front, the aforementioned Silviniaco Conti is an obvious horse to keep on side, as is Al Ferof. He is on target for Bangor on November 9, where I gather Peddlers Cross is an intended...