Where do Paul Nicholls’ Cheltenham strengths lie?
Paul Nicholls is sure to have a massive team of horses for the Cheltenham Festival but where does the balance of power lie within his team, is it in the Festival handicaps or within his non-handicap team?
Let’s take a look at his record over the last ten Cheltenham Festivals in an attempt to give you some insight as to where his strengths lie.
The top-line is that on the bare facts Nicholls has far more winner in the Cheltenham non-handicaps than he does in the handicaps there, he has had 25 more runners over the same period in the non- handicaps with 122 handicap runners and 147 in the non-handicaps and anyone looking at the Cheltenham Festival odds should bear this in mind. But then we…
Continue Reading Where do Paul Nicholls' Cheltenham strengths lie?
Eric’s Charm went out doing what he loved best
It is always terribly sad when any horse loses its life on the racecourse, and particularly so when the horse in question has been as wonderful a servant to connections as was Eric’s Charm to trainer Oliver Sherwood and owners Martin St Quinton and Peter Deal, writes Elliot Slater.
Eric’s Charm loved racing from the very beginning, winning on his debut in a Fontwell bumper in 2003 and winning a further four times during the subsequent 12 months, proving himself to be a smart novice hurdler when chasing home Inglis Drever in a Warwick Grade 2, then later that term finishing fourth to Accipiter at Aintree in the Grade 1 Sefton Novices Hurdle.
A useful novice chaser, he finished fifth to King Harald in the 2005 Jewson Novices’…
Continue Reading Eric's Charm went out doing what he loved best
Crus ticking over ahead of Big Buck’s clash
As the countdown continues to the 2011 Cheltenham Festival, trainers the length and breadth of the country are hoping nothing goes amiss with their contenders for the 27-race extravaganza that begins on March 15. David Pipe reports his Ladbrokes World hurdle hope Grand Crus to be doing everything asked of him and is keeping him ticking over until his moment of truth, writes Elliot Slater.
Grand Crus has been one of the revelations of this National Hunt season, coming from out of the blue to emerge as a serious danger to the dominance of the Paul Nicholls trained Big Buck’s, the horse going for a hat-trick of wins in the Grade 1 three-mile hurdle. The Dom Alco gelding ended last term rated 126, some 48lbs inferior to Big…
Continue Reading Crus ticking over ahead of Big Buck's clash
Rivals wise to tactics in Champion Hurdle Showpiece
The Champion Hurdle often overshadows the Gold Cup as the highlight of The Festival and this year’s renewal looks to be even more of a showpiece event.
The ability to handle an often break-neck pace and the temperament to be able to put the heightened energy, created by the massive crowds and electric atmosphere, to positive effect can be differentiators on the day, but the ability to hurdle quickly and efficiently and to have enough in the tank to produce a turn of foot are usually vital pre-requisites to win one of the biggest events in horse racing.
The great Sea Pigeon had these attributes in abundance and was arguably the best hurdler of them all, although fans of Night Nurse, Persian War, Monksfield, Istabraq and others…
Continue Reading Rivals wise to tactics in Champion Hurdle Showpiece
Imperial Commander breezes through Warwick Gallop
They old adage is that of “Horses for Courses” and the Cheltenham Festival is perhaps the best example of the truth behind this saying.
With a tough track followed by a remarkably difficult finish, the Cheltenham course will suit certain horses, delivering them fame and glory, whilst at the same time it is capable of breaking the will and ruining the reputation of many top prospects.
A horse that has experienced both success and failure at Cheltenham is the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Imperial Commander.
The winner of the last year’s Gold Cup will undoubtedly attract plenty of money from both the armchair punters and serious horse betting gamblers for another victory this year.
And the backers will be boosted by the latest reports following a run…
Continue Reading Imperial Commander breezes through Warwick Gallop
Dream ends for Bertie’s RSA aspirations
Lasts season’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle winner Bertie’s Dream will not bid to follow-up in the RSA Chase next month, but the possibility remains that he may be allowed to take his chance in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle on day three of the four-day Cheltenham Festival, writes Elliot Slater.
Trained in Ireland by Paul Gilligan, Bertie’s Dream sprang a 33/1 surprise on punters at last year’s festival when proving six-lengths too good for Najaf, and gave the impression that he could be just the right sort to make a name for himself over larger obstacles this season. He kicked off this term by finishing a respectable fourth to the useful Jessies Dream in a decent Galway beginners’ chase, but then proved clumsy and disappointing in being beaten into a…
Continue Reading Dream ends for Bertie’s RSA aspirations
Tataniano far from certain to run in Champion Chase
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls has a very strong hand with Master Minded and Woolcombe Folly in the coveted Grade 1 Queen Mother Champion Chase, the highlight on the second day of the forthcoming Cheltenham Festival, but he is facing a battle against time to have his third string Tataniano ready in time to take his chance in the two-mile championship, writes Elliot Slater.
On offer at between 11/1 and 16/1 in the Queen Mother Champion Chase odds, Tataniano has been struggling to remain sound and was lame as recently as three weeks ago. He seems to have recovered well from that setback but missed vital training, so it is quite possible that connections might judge that he would be better off given more time to reach his peak…
Continue Reading Tataniano far from certain to run in Champion Chase
Reynoldstown romp marks Master as a Sun Alliance contender
Trainer Nicky Henderson maintained his hold on Ascot’s major staying novice chase when his Master Of The Hall cruised home to win the Reynoldstown Chase at the Berkshire venue.
While there were only four runners in the line-up it was still a classy affair, but Henderson’s charge took care of his rivals with the minimum of fuss. The seven-year olds jumping was much improved from what he previously shown over fences and he will now go to Cheltenham with a strong claim in the Sun Alliance Chase and anyone looking to bet on Cheltenham 2011 should give him some serious thought.
The Minack was the main threat in the betting to Master Of The Hall, but a bad mistake, which his rider did especially well to keep…
Continue Reading Reynoldstown romp marks Master as a Sun Alliance contender
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