Stable Tour: Paul Nicholls' Cheltenham Festival team
Thursday 25 February 2016 12:03, UK
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls talks us through his big team ahead of the 2016 Cheltenham Festival.
The 2016 Cheltenham Festival is less than a month away now and this week we visited the stables of Champion trainer Paul Nicholls.
Here Nicholls talks us through his big team ahead of the National Hunt showpiece.
Saphir Du Rheu
He was second in last year's World Hurdle and then he went chasing, winning the Grade One at Aintree in the spring. The idea was that he'd go chasing this season and he won well at Carlisle earlier in the year. Ran OK in the Hennessy looking back at it now, with 11st 12lb on ground was that quite testing. He travelled quite well to two out but didn't really finish it off and clearly ran no race at all over Christmas in the Long Walk Hurdle, fading from the back of the second-last. I was always a little suspicious of his breathing so straight after Ascot we gave him a little breathing operation and he's in good form. That's helped him out and although he's a big horse who should handle soft ground I've always thought his very best form, at Cheltenham and Aintree last term, is on decent ground. So I think on better ground we'll see him in a completely different light. He's a high-class horse and has come together really well. He's been working well with Aux Ptit Soins for the past six weeks or so and has had a racecourse gallop. He'll have another one next week and I'm very, very pleased with him. All through the autumn, and even in the Hennessy, I thought he still looked a little bit fat and we were struggling to get the weight off him. But he's looking really well now and I'm happy with his progress. I maintain that he and the horse that won last year (Cole Harden) are both big players. He'll ultimately go back chasing next year but I think we're doing the right thing going back hurdling with him for now.
Aux Ptit Soins
He won the Coral Cup last year and is unbeaten over hurdles. It's been hard to train him this time as he came back from John's (Hales) with an infection in his foot and then we had a sinus problem with him. He had two lots of surgery on a tooth which was causing him that problem and also some surgery on his sinus just to clear that up. He had a month on the water treadmill back at John's and came to us in January 1. We've been able to get stuck into him with work since then and he's had a racecourse gallop with Saphir Du Rheu. He'll have another trip away and then he'll run in the World Hurdle. It would have been nice to get a run into him but I have to say he's coming together nicely and working very well. He's very talented but it's a big ask after the problems he's had. He'll have a couple of runs this spring, probably at Aintree after Cheltenham, then he'll come back novice chasing in the autumn. It'll be nice to have another summer on his back and hopefully have a clear run with him now.
Dodging Bullets
It's been a nightmare with him due to being off for most of the season with a splint problem. He had his first run of the season just the other day and was well beaten into second but if you look at it he was beaten on his first run back last season and obviously went on to win last year's Champion Chase. He is a very good work horse at home so it's easy to think he's at a slightly better stage than he is (in terms of fitness). He's come back from having a long time off, but probably just got tired on the ground at Newbury as he travelled really well so possibly just needed the run a bit more than we thought. Initially I was very disappointed but coming back from what he's had you have to give them a bit of time. He's improved a lot for that and he likes Cheltenham and better ground. I won't pretend he's not got a mountain to climb to beat the favourite Un De Sceaux, who looks very good but behind him the rest look much of a muchness. I'm hopeful of a much improved run at Cheltenham on some better ground. Having said that, he was going into the race last year off the back of winning the Tingle Creek and the Clarence House Chase so it's a bit different now. If Un De Sceaux jumps around then he's going to be very hard to beat but it's a competitive race and they go a right gallop around there in the Champion so the favourite will have to jump well.
Le Mercurey
He's in the RSA Chase as well as the big three-mile handicap chase on the first day at the Festival. He went up 7lb for finishing third at Ascot in the Reynoldstown, which gives him a mark of 147. Probably ran a career best at the weekend, giving 7lb to the first two home. He looked like winning but just propped going into the last and went on to finish third. Before that he ran at Doncaster in the Sky Bet Chase and it was basically all over after just three fences. He just didn't get going at all. He's possibly going to be better in a smaller field, rather than a big-field 20 runner handicap. We put cheekpieces on him at Ascot, that just helped him concentrate and he ran a really good race. I suspect if we end up running him at Cheltenham at all it will be in the RSA Chase and hope for a bit of soft ground as that's what he really loves.
Old Guard
He's been tipped as a lively outsider for the Champion Hurdle and he looks really well at the moment. If I hadn't run him at Kempton on Boxing Day then he'd probably be a fair bit shorter in the betting than he is now having won the three races at Cheltenham earlier in the season including the Greatwood Hurdle and the International. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I probably shouldn't have run him at Kempton over Christmas but actually by doing that we've been able to give him a couple of months off, rather than try and get him ready to run at Wincanton last weekend, where the ground wouldn't have really suited him anyway. Going to Cheltenham fresh will suit him and he'll love it drying up a bit. If you forgive him his last run and you certainly can given he's such a young horse then he's got an outside chance of being in the frame I would have said. He'll need to improve again if he's going to win a Champion Hurdle but I think there could be more to come from him. The race has obviously opened up a bit and I don't think there's a mass amount between them towards the top of the market now.
Vibrato Valtat
He's had a good season, he won the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter and has been running some solid races, in the Tingle Creek and the Clarence House at Ascot. Two miles is probably just sharp enough for him against the best as he's always flat out. I've always wanted to try him out over a trip and he's going to run in the Ryanair Chase this year. That'll be a more suitable race for him and he's a good horse when fresh. He carries plenty of condition but we'll get plenty of hard graft into him before then. He's been really progressive and it's not been easy for him but he'll run another solid race.
Connetable
We've got quite a number of smart juveniles this year and Connetable is a horse who had nice form in France. He was second on his debut for us at Ascot behind a nice horse from Alan King's yard. We had a slight splint problem with him and we were expecting his first run to bring him on and then he went and beat Rayvin Black and Peace And Co in the Contenders Hurdle at Sandown last time. That form got a boost again at the weekend so he's a decent horse who has already been given a mark of 150, which is quite high for a juvenile. He's going to run in the Triumph Hurdle and he'll be one of the highest rated juveniles. He's progressive and he'll go straight to the Festival now. I could end up running four in the race but I wouldn't think there'll be a lot between them at this stage. Nick (Scholfield) rode him at Ascot and he could ride him again at Cheltenham. A fast-run race will definitely suit him as he's a really strong stayer. I'm not sure he'd want the ground too quick but he's a nice prospect and another young horse who will be a good chaser in the future.
Frodon
He's another one of our juveniles and he won on Saturday at Haydock, beating Fixe Le Kap. He also had smart form in France, he won one but ran in all the good races and actually ran in a Grade Two chase. He's been bought to be a nice chaser in time. He came over late and was very lean at first but has come to himself as he needed the run at Cheltenham. We actually fancied him to win at the weekend and couldn't believe when one was 1/5 and our horse was 5/1. He beat Fixe Le Kap nicely and Sean (Bowen) gave him a great ride. He's in the Fred Winter but I'd say he'll probably end up running in the Triumph Hurdle. If he did run in the Fred Winter then we'll probably claim with Harry (Cobden) taking a few pounds off to help out. But we'll have a look at the weights and all the entries and see which way we go with him. But I think he's a progressive sort and there really isn't much between all these smart juveniles.
Tommy Silver
Yet another promising juvenile and he went and won well at Musselburgh. Thinking now I should probably have aimed him towards the Fred Winter but I've run out of time with needing to get a third run into him as it would have been too close and if he went and won again then he'd go up in the ratings anyway. He'll run in the Triumph too and has a bit to do on the figures as he's rated 134 but I think he could end up with a much higher rating than that by the end of the season. He might lack a bit of experience but he can't have done any more really and he's going there with a chance as all he's going to do is improve.
Clan Des Obeaux
He is definitely another future chaser and he's exciting. He won by a wide margin at Newbury and ran another excellent race when second at Cheltenham.
Politologue
He's a fine, big, grey horse, he won a Listed novice hurdle at Exeter the other week. It turned out to be a bit of an 'egg and spoon' race in the end after Nicky (Henderson) took his horse out but he ran on very impressively. He was second to Barters Hill in the Challow before that having looked like he might have won at Cheltenham the time before when unseating Sam. I've kept him in the Neptune but it's almost certain he'll run in the Coral Cup, which we won last year. He's a really nice horse - we're not pretending he's as good or as well handicapped as Aux Ptit Soins was when winning it last year but he'll run very well in the Coral Cup. I don't know whether or not he's well handicapped off 142 but he'll run a tidy race and whatever happens he's going to be an awesome chaser for next season - that's what he was bought for. He won on heavy ground last time but like most of my horses I'm sure he'll appreciate a bit better ground.
All Yours
It's been a frustrating season for him really as he loves good ground. He's only had one run this season when finishing fourth at Wincanton and I've just saved him and saved him. Last year he started off on a fairly ordinary note but he just got beat in the Adonis at Kempton and I ran him in the Fred Winter, where he performed very well in fifth off a fairly tough mark. He got into all sorts of trouble that day, Sam came back cursing his luck. He went on to win the Grade One at Aintree which was really the first time we had good ground - and he was impressive that day. So he's a horse who likes decent ground, is in really good shape and he'll go for the County Hurdle off his mark of 147 before probably returning to Aintree afterwards.
Bouvreuil
He's run some okay races in good company over fences and will probably be our main one for the novices' handicap chase. He beat Vyta Du Roc at Doncaster and that form has obviously worked out quite well with him winning at Ascot. He was a bit disappointing last time but that trip was a bit short.
Katgary
He'll also probably run in the novices' handicap chase as he's qualified to run there with a mark of 137. He's capable of running well off that mark.
Some Plan
Some Plan is probably going to go for the County Hurdle and we'll look at the Imperial Cup beforehand for him and the others going that way. He has run well in both starts this season, finishing a close-up fourth in the Ladbroke. His mark looks okay to me and good ground will be ideal.
Sire Collonges
He'll run in the cross-country race again and he knows Cheltenham so well. The race isn't a handicap any more and that will probably help him with the rating he's got. He's been running well this year and we've kept him in training just for that one race. It's hard to tell where you are with him on the gallops - he's pretty slow these days, but he's in good shape.
Rocky Creek
He goes to Kempton on Saturday. I've taken him out of the Gold Cup. He's in the Ultima, but we'll get this weekend out of the way first. He could go for the National instead.
Southfield Theatre
He could run a big race in the Ultima if we can get him back to form. He was second in the RSA last year and some better ground will suit him.
Unioniste
His main aim is the Grand National and although he's entered in the Ultima, I might take him to Kelso instead. I would like to get another run into him before Aintree.
Vicente
He stays well and goes well fresh, so it's been a deliberate plan to keep him back since he ran at Cheltenham in December. Will Biddick will ride him in the National Hunt Chase and they could go well.
Baoulet Delaroque
He's going to find it tougher off a mark of 140 than he has found it in the handicaps he has been winning but he'll run in the Coral Cup and we'll find out how good he is. He's a novice so he's the sort of horse you could run in the Neptune but if he finishes 5th or 6th it's a bit of a waste of a run and I think you're better off going for a handicap with a mark.
Warriors Tale
I was really pleased with his run at Musselburgh behind Cup Final and if that horse has got a chance in the Pertemps, then this one certainly has too.
Art Mauresque
The key to him is that he must have decent ground. If he gets it then I could see him going well in the Brown Advisory Plate.
Sametegal
He's too highly rated to run in the novice handicap chase so the only option for him is the Brown Advisory Plate. He'll definitely appreciate some better ground but I don't think he is particularly well treated and we might well decide to swerve it and wait for Aintree and Ayr.
Adrien Du Pont
He runs in the National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell on Sunday. We'll think about the Triumph when we've got that one out of the way. It was heavy when he won at Chepstow, but I don't think he needs heavy going.
Irving
I don't know why he ran quite so badly at Wincanton on Saturday. I did every test on him but I knew they were going to come up negative and they did. He just didn't do a tap, but he can be like that. I might just put him in the County, put Harry Cobden on taking off the allowance. A big field and a fast gallop could just suit him.
Modus
He got behind from an early stage in the Betfair Hurdle, was almost brought down and hated the ground. He needs better ground. We'll talk to the owners and see what they've want to do, but he might go for the Supreme, he might go for the County Hurdle, or we might wait with him. He wouldn't finish last in the Supreme, I can tell you that, but with a mark of 139 I'd be more leaning towards the County with him.
Plansberg
The plan is to run on Saturday at Kempton and if he happened to win there, we might have a horse for the Triumph. If not, we could look at putting him away for the season.
Diego de Charmil
I was looking this morning and I saw he was favourite for the Fred Winter with one firm - which I was a bit surprised by. I would ideally have liked to have got a run into him, but he'll go straight to the Fred Winter. I honestly wouldn't know if his mark of 132 is good or not. At the end of the day, he is a maiden who hasn't won in his three runs.
Qualando
He ran a tidy race at Taunton and I deliberately ran him under Harry Cobden as the plan would be for him to ride him in the Martin Pipe. I've put a few in the Martin Pipe but he's probably one that stands out.
Romain De Senam
I think his mark of 136 is workable and he ran okay at Sandown on ground that was too wet for him. He'd be another I like the look of the Fred Winter and it's a race in which we've got a good record.
Tara Point
It's 50/50 whether she runs in the OLBG Mares' Hurdle. She needs another gallop and we'll make our minds up after that. It's just been a bit of a struggle with her this season, but if she gets there, she'll run well.
Zubayr
He is another nice four-year-old and I'm going to run him in the Adonis on Saturday to see where we are.
