Champion trainer hopeful of tasting glory with Stewart star

Ghizao: Big run expected in rearranged race

Paul Nicholls is expecting a big run from Ghizao in the rearranged William Hill Levy Board Peterborough Chase at Kempton on Thursday.

The eight-year-old gelding has been in tremendous form this season, enjoying a facile success over this course and distance in November before finishing a good third behind Captain Chris in the Amlin 1965 Chase at Ascot.

"He'll love the ground and has run really well in his two runs this season," said Nicholls.

"He won at Kempton and then was a good close third the last day at Ascot to Captain Chris. A flat track suits him well so he must have a chance."

Hunt Ball enjoyed a course-and-distance victory in February among seven wins last term that saw him rise dramatically through the ranks and win at the Cheltenham Festival as well as finish third in the Grade One Betfred Bowl Chase at Aintree.

However, Keiran Burke's charge was pulled up in the Paddy Power Gold Cup back at Cheltenham on his reappearance and will try to show that was just a blip in this Grade Two heat that should have been staged at Huntingdon.

For Non Stop, a late withdrawal from the William Hill King George VI Chase on Boxing Day, is set to take his chance against less demanding company for the Nick Williams team.

Philip Hobbs will be hoping for a better show from Menorah than on his seasonal bow in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter when he was a well-beaten third to Cue Card.

Nicky Henderson, successful with Finian's Rainbow last Christmas, saddles French Opera, while Polly Gundry send out the lightly-raced Mr Gardner, who returns after a 651 day lay-off.