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...

t would be fair to say that Saturday wasn't a great day at the office for me. Plenty of our horses didn't show their true form and even Dan mentioned to me on the drive home that, as far as he could remember, this was the first Saturday we didn't have a winner since he has been working with me. In fact we have only had one winner in our last 31 runners; not a particularly good stat to read. I don't like giving excuses but I do want to keep punters informed and, as our weekends runners came back from the track, a good few of them had dirty noses and were coughing. Nothing serious but it's got to be monitored and gives us some clues as to why a few of the team didn't run to their true form, which was plain to see. Coughs come and go at yards and there is always the odd horse with one but,...

It is fairly obvious that we had a moderate weekend with only one winner from thirty one. We have several horses coughing and not running to their form. As you may have read elsewhere I've had to cancel my Cheltenham media day this week due to this. In these circumstances we do not feel it is appropriate to invite the media on Wednesday. I'm sure everyone agrees my horses and owners must come first at this stage. [b]For more exclusive Paul Nicholls content, go to http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/paul-nicholls/[/b]

Fair play to sponsors Betfair for pumping more money into this meeting to keep this race as the UK's richest handicap hurdle with prize money of £152,500; last season the winner was racing for just over £34,000 and we didn't have a runner. But we have three this year, and all have chances. Here are my thoughts on Zarkandar... If only life was as simple as some people are making out and my Triumph Hurdle winner Zarkandar is thrown in off a mark of "just 151" here, given the way the form of that Cheltenham race has worked out. Obviously, I hope that he is but I don't think it is as straightforward as some people are speculating. And it is interesting to see that while Timeform have him as their top-rated horse in the race, it is only by 1lb. Yes, the Triumph form has been franked...

Losing Newbury on Saturday was a big blow - but at least it has been softened by the news that the whole meeting has been transferred to Friday, live on Channel 4. So fair play to all concerned in making this happen. And it is especially pleasing to see that the Betfair Hurdle retains its original prize money of £152,500 and will still be run as Europe's richest handicap hurdle, despite the race being run on a Friday. Last year it was run for a fraction of that, with the winner only getting just over £34,000. As long as they are all fit and well, then all the horses I was going to run at Newbury will turn out on Friday - and that includes Zarkandar. I would not be overly-concerned if a lot of my horses had to go straight to Cheltenham - I can get them fresh, fit and well...

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 was obviously very pleased to hear that Zarkandar will be left on a mark of 151 for the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury next month. And I am clearly very keen to run the horse in what is now Europe's richest handicap hurdle since Betfair backed the race. Zarkandar is only workmanlike at home - Brampour used to murder him over 5f last season - so, while he is pleasing me, he is never going to tell you that much from his work. He does it on the track. So while it could be argued that he is theoretically well-handicapped with the Triumph Hurdle form working out so well and should take his chance come what may, I have decided to give him a racecourse gallop in the next 10 days to see whether he will be ready in time to do himself justice at Newbury. That gallop will decide where we go ...

I have five entries in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury next month, and I see that Zarkandar heads the market at around the 7.0 mark. But a word of warning for punters: I have made no firm plans for the race at this stage for any of my entries. As it stands, I would say that Celestial Halo and Empire Levant would be likely runners. Celestial Halo was awesome in winning at the course on New Year's Eve, and that brought his record in handicap hurdles to three from three. And when you consider that win came off a mark of 160, you realise what a high-class performance that was. It is further proof that, while he can struggle off level weights against the top guns over 2m, he has the necessary class to give weight away to lesser horses. So, on a track he loves, he looks set to take his...

At the start of the season, Zarkandar was obviously my leading contender for the Champion Hurdle. But we have been lucky enough to have Rock On Ruby and, to a lesser extent, Brampour confirm themselves as contenders for the race during the season. So it is very heartening that we have three possibles for the Champion Hurdle, the race that has so far eluded me that I most want to win. Who knows, Rock On Ruby may have been far shorter in the betting (he is currently 14.0 on Betfair) had he jumped the final flight cleanly in the Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day. But in any event you have to be thrilled with his neck second to Binocular there, with a further 8 lengths back to such a good yardstick in Overturn. He has come a long way in his two runs this season, and we know Cheltenham suits...