Fourteen-time champion trainer and Betfair Ambassador Paul Nicholls talks us through his runners at Ascot, Wetherby, and Worcester across the weekend. He also discusses his double at Ffos Las on Thursday and edging closer to Martin Pipe’s record.
It's nice to edge towards Martin Pipe's record after Thursday double at Ffos Las
We're now just eight shy of breaking Martin Pipe's record, but since Treasure Planet won, we had about nine or ten horses finish second. A couple were a bit unlucky, but they all ran really well, which is good.
We're still not quite there, but we're getting there. The horses are getting fitter and stronger and better. The two yesterday (Verney Fox and Toothless) looked fantastic and ran like it. They won nicely; it was nice to get a double and get the ball rolling again.
Verney Fox ran on soft ground in his point-to-point. He's a real stayer and he won't run in another bumper as he'll go novice hurdling. I don't think it was that much of a bumper, but he couldn't have done it any easier, so we're looking forward to him going novice hurdling.
Toothless was the best I've ever seen him look and the best I've ever seen him jump. I fancied him all week, and when I saw him drift in the betting, I think he ended up almost the outsider, I couldn't believe it really. I thought I was missing a trick somewhere. But he ran how he looked and he bolted in.
It's nice to edge towards Martin Pipe's record. We're eight off beating him now. Everyone keeps reminding me, but it will be a great milestone to do. To think that when we started in Ditcheat 35 years ago, to end up the winning-most National Hunt yard with so many winners, it's fantastic and reflects well on the whole team that have been with me since I started.
Saturday Runners at Wetherby and Ascot
14:55 Wetherby - Hitman and Twinjets
I've won the Charlie Hall a lot of times with some good horses like See More Business, Silviniaco Conti and Bravemansgame. It's been a great race. Are Hitman and Twinjets in the same league as them? I wouldn’t say so.
Hitman was second in a Denman Chase on soft ground over three miles, so the trip is not a problem, and he loves good ground, but he's got to give 4lb to all of the others. How he'll ever give 4lb to Pic d'Orhy is impossible, I'd say.
Twinjets has crept up the handicap. He's been a good handicapper, he's rated 152, but basically Pic d'Orhy will be very hard to beat, as last season he had a penalty, but this season he doesn't because he didn't win last year. And if you look at the advantage he has in the handicap, he'll be very hard to beat, and almost a certainty.
My only concern with him is I'm not convinced he'll want the ground as fast as it is, but if Pic d'Orhy is on song, he'll win. We've just got to do our best to try and put it up to him and some of the others, but it's a good race and we'll be doing our best.
We had Pic d'Orhy since he was three years old (now with Dan Skelton) and look at some of the races we've won with him. It's the softest race he's run in for a long time by far, when you think he took on Jonbon last year, ran second in this race to a smart one from the Venetia Williams yard (Djelo), so you'd have to think he'll be tough to beat if he's on song, but we can only try. We've got a mountain to climb to beat him.
Because of his handicap mark, where else do you go with Twinjets? He does like a small field, and he stays three miles, he loves fast ground and he's got to go left-handed, so lots of positives, but he'll need a career best for him to win.
14:33 Ascot - Viroflay
The idea was to go to the Badger Ales Chase at Wincanton. He was going to have a prep race at Chepstow, but that was too quick, and the next day he went to Ffos Las, where the ground was too soft, so we didn't run there, so it's been frustrating.
He could have gone to Cheltenham last week, but then I was just thinking, when it started raining, perhaps Wincanton might be on, and we'll go for the Badger Ales. But it wasn't to be, and we haven't got a lot of options.
He likes right-handed tracks, and you could argue he's better on a flat track, as all of his best runs have been on a flat track, but that could be coincidence more than anything.
He's fit and well. Lucas Murphy is taking off a very handy 7lb, Olive used to always claim 7lb when riding him, but he's as high up in the handicap as he's ever been, but he's got a lot in his favour. He's fresh and he's fit, so it's just whether he's good enough off his current mark.
I think Lucas has got a good future. He's still at school for another year, so he can't commit to anything full time, but we'll use him a bit, and so will everybody else, as he's a very good young jockey who has started very well and is very good value for his 7lb.
15:43 Ascot - Fasol
He comes down in trip here, but he ran well in the Sussex Champion Hurdle last year over two miles around a sharp track like Plumpton. He needed his first run last year, and he needed the run the other day (at Chepstow), which was over two and a half miles on slow ground that didn't really suit him.
He ran very well in this race last year. He wasn't beaten too far behind Alexei. He's got a lovely weight, and Sam Twiston-Davies is riding him for the first time, as I just thought I'd try something different. It wouldn't surprise me if he won; it wouldn't surprise me if he finished fifth or sixth.
He's capable of going very well. He's got a lot in his favour, but it's a competitive race.
Sunday Runners at Worcester
The ground at Worcester on Sunday is expected to be good to soft-soft. For all of my horses that are going there, it is a case of needing to start the season somewhere. If we don’t run here, we might end up waiting for three weeks. I expect it’s the same for a lot of people who are thinking let’s just get them out and get them running. Mine are all fit enough to run but they will all come on for their runs.
12:10 Worcester – Grand Garcon
I’d like to think he could have a big season. He’s starting off on a sensible mark of 112 for what he’s achieved. He’s a big, big horse and he’s needed all the time he’s had. He is potentially a lovely horse who will go chasing. He was a bit in and out over hurdles, improved for his wind-op, and has jumped nicely at home. I’m hoping we will have a nice season with him.
12:45 Worcester – Mon Champion
It is possible that he is nicely handicapped at 122. In the winter when the ground is soft, I expect him to come into his own. It’s good to soft, soft ground suits him, it’s a competitive race, he’s done a lot of work and will improve for the run. He’s one who will enjoy the winter when it is really soft. But he’s got to start somewhere.
13:20 Worcester – Henri The Second
He’s been a brilliant horse for me over hurdles. We tried chasing twice with him and it was a disaster. But to be fair, with our new schooling facility, he has jumped 30 to 40 fences at home. He schooled the other morning with No Drama This End and we could not fault him- he jumped very, very well.
Soft ground suits him very well so we thought we would give chasing one more try. He runs well and jumps well and is the sort we could even stick in a Welsh Grand National because he will stay forever in the mud.
If it doesn’t work out on Sunday, then we will just stick to hurdles in future. But he’s a beautiful, big chasing type of horse, so it has been a bit frustrating. Freddie knows him well. It’s a competitive race but we’ve got to go somewhere.
13:55 Worcester – Beauty In The Park
She’s a great big filly, a chaser in the making, who always needs a run, as she did last year. We’ve done a lot of work with her. Win, lose or draw she will improve for the run. She jumps very nicely at home. She’ll end up running in Mares’ Novice Chases later on in the season. As a filly, she gets seven pounds off her mark, so she’s nicely handicapped.
15:05 Worcester – Beau Speed
He ran well in both his bumpers last season. He was very green but came second the first time he ran at Fakenham to a nice horse of Dan Skelton’s that had been running very well over hurdles.
Beau Speed has improved physically; he jumps very nicely and will improve for the run.
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