Paul Nicholls is confident he has assembled a ‘good team’ to represent him at Wincanton on Badger Beer Ladies Day on Saturday which is headed by Largy Poet and Threeunderthrufive in the feature 64th Badger Beers Handicap Chase.
In recent seasons the Ditcheat handler has proved the trainer to follow at the Somerset venue’s most valuable meeting after rattling up a five-timer at the fixture last year along with saddling four-timers in both 2023 and 2022.
And the 14-time champion trainer, who has won the Badger Beers Handicap Chase a record 11 times, looks well placed to more glory at this year’s meeting, with several of his star names set to strut their stuff on the seven-race card.
Nicholls said: “This is always a nice meeting at Wincanton and one that we have always done well at.
"We try to pick a good team of horses to run there, and I feel like we have a good team for this year’s meeting.
“All we hope for is that we get a bit more rain, but I’m looking forward to the meeting.”
After running promising races in defeat on his first couple of outings last season, Threeunderthrufive failed to complete on his final two starts of the campaign pulling-up in both the Randox Grand National at Aintree and the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown Park.
However, Nicholls believes that the 10-year-old is in a good place ahead of trying to one better than in the 2023 renewal of the £80,000 contest after pleasing in a recent racecourse gallop at Newbury.
Nicholls said: “Threeunderthrufive will definitely run in the Badger Beers Handicap Chase.
“He has run well in it before as he finished second in it two years ago. He is always good fresh, and he is in good shape.
"He had a gallop at Newbury last week and went nicely.
“He is going to have plenty of weight on his back, but he likes going right-handed and the track suits him.”
As for Largy Poet, who finished second on his seasonal return at Fontwell last month, Nicholls admits he is likely to make a late decision regarding his participation in the three miles and one furlong test.
He added: “Largy Poet would want plenty of rain. It might be a case of leaving him in and then making a decision on Saturday. I’ve always intended for both of them to run.
“Largy Poet had a great prep for the race at Fontwell the other day. We needed to get a run into him. He has only had the two runs over fences, but he has been first and second.
“I think this race would suit him. He is relatively unexposed, and he is a good strong stayer.”
Talented hurdler Blueking D’Oroux will attempt to give Nicholls a record-extending 12th victory in the Grade Two Boodles Rising Stars Novices’ Chase, a race which he has won with the likes of Grade One winners Frodon, See More Business and Silviniaco Conti.
Although the Jeu St Eloi gelding suffered an odds-on reversal on his chasing debut at Newton Abbot last month, Nicholls expects the Grade Two-winning hurdler to step forward from that experience.
He said: “Blueking D’Oroux goes for the Rising Stars. I always like to have a prep race before this, and he had that at Newton Abbot.
“He ran okay there. He was a short-priced favourite, but that was purely on ratings.
"The horse that beat him Riskintheground) had already had a fair bit of experience over fences, and he was a Grade Two handicap chase winner at Cheltenham.
“It wasn’t easy for him, and he jumped a bit novicey, but he will come on for that.
“I’ve had horses like Silviniaco Conti and Knappers Hill get beat over fences first time out before going on to win this.
“I think you need a run under your belt before going for this, and hopefully he will come on for that experience in this.
“He was a good hurdler as he was rated 151, but we just need him to take it to the next level over fences.”
As for the other Grade Two on the card the BetMGM Elite Hurdle, Nicholls, who is seeking a record-extending 10th win in the race, hopes it will be a case of more of the same from Rubaud, who will be attempting to become the second three-time winner of the £70,000 event.
However, Nicholls could be double-handed in the two-mile prize after also entering 2022 winner Knappers Hill in the race.
He added: “Rubuad is very much the one for the race as he has won it for the past two years. He likes that track and he will like the ground.
“He comes into the race, like he has done the previous two years having won the Listed race at Kempton Park beforehand, so hopefully he can follow up that win once again and secure a third successive win in this race.
“I put Knappers Hill, who won the race in 2022, at the last minute on Monday as Harry (Cobden) asked me to put him in just in case we had loads of rain or that Rubaud trod on a stone or something like that.”
And elsewhere on the card Nicholls intends to unleash dual Listed winner Jubilee Alpha and stablemate Just A Rose in the BetMGM Paul & Richard Barber Memorial Mares’ Handicap Hurdle, which he won 12 months ago with Larchmont Lass.
He added: “I’m going to run both Jubilee Alpha and Just A Rose. Jubilee Alpha was a good filly last season, and she is ready to run for her life.
“The other filly, Just A Rose, might just need the experience and run. We are hoping that both can be better than handicappers this season.”
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