SUNDAY – CHELTENHAM

1:50 Handicap Chase

Brave Eagle (Nico de Boinville)

He’s had a run so will be fitter now and he’s been quite fresh and perky at home so certainly arrives here a happy horse. However, I do think he is extremely badly handicapped so it’s going to be hard work for him but we’re putting the blinkers on which may help and he has a decent chance as long as the ground stays reasonable.

 

3:00 Unibet Greatwood Hurdle

Countister (Nico de Boinville)

There is no doubt about it, I was very disappointed with her run at Ascot so she needs to step up considerably on that effort but she’s been dropped another 5lbs which is a good, although I’m not sure it’s enough so I couldn’t really be optimistic.

 

4:05 Bumper

Firestep (Nico de Boinville)

He was entered elsewhere and this is a funny bumper to make your debut in because we’re straight into Listed Company but it’s a good track on good ground, which I feel it won’t be at Uttoxeter (where he was also entered), and there’s no decent bumper for a week or so but I’ve got a whole stack of them to get out so this lad’s coming here and while we’re throwing him in pretty deep end he does his work well and we’ll know what we’ve got after this.

 

YOUR QUESTIONS 

(Repeated from Saturday's blog)

 

Q. Could Santini be given an entry in the Grand National?

I would have thought the answer to that would possibly be ‘yes’

 

Q. Have you decided on any future plans for Dusart?

No, I haven’t. We are going to go very quietly. He’s come out of Newbury ok and we’ll just wander on quietly for the time being.

 

Q. Given you have two Unibet Champion Hurdle contenders in the same ownership, I assume one will go over to Leopardstown for the Irish Champion Hurdle?

Don’t forget that Buveur D’Air has miles to go and it’s very unlikely he’ll be seen before Christmas and Epatante will make her seasonal debut in the Fighting Fifth and then, all being well, the Christmas Hurdle. We won’t be rushing Buveur and something like the Contenders Hurdle at Sandown would be a possible starting point IF things go to plan up until then.

 

Q. Have you made plans for Chantry House’s Chase debut?

Not yet but everything is going very well and it would want to be over two and a half miles.

 

Q. How is Dickie Diver doing?

Waiting for some very, very, very soft ground. He has terrible knees so was forced to sit out last season but he’s got a lot of talent and if we can keep him sound, he could still be very exciting.

 

Q. What’s the plan for Flinteur Sacre?

He’s about a fortnight off a run and we’ll go somewhere nice and straightforward with him – places like Ascot, Newbury, Kempton but we won’t be jumping straight into graded company.

 

Q. When will we see Shishkin?

He’s two to three weeks off a run and we’ll be looking for a novice over two miles. Oh, actually! Kempton – on a Monday – 2m2f – the same race Altior won on his Chase debut.

 

Q. I was impressed with I Am Maximus winning his bumper at Cheltenham, how is he and what are the plans for him?

Very, very slowly catchy monkey with him. He’s a big raw horse who is actually on holiday now because that one run was enough for him for the time being and we’ll probably look at bringing him back for something around Christmas time. I wouldn’t think he’s a horse for the Champion Bumper but I like him a lot. We’ve got him and No Ordinary Joe who are two very good horses.

 

Q. When is the good ole boy Altior back?

We’re going the tried and tested route of starting off at Sandown in the Tingle Creek. He’ll go to Newbury on Tuesday for a gallop.

 

Q. When will Pipesmoker be making his seasonal return?

He had a bit of a hiccup and was lame before he was due to run at Cheltenham last month but he’s back cantering again now. It has delayed us, but don’t panic because he a good horse.

 

Q. What’s your favourite Brandy?

They don’t sponsor it anymore but you can’t beat good old Hennessy!

 

Q. Do you have any new ‘double green’ horses this year to mention?

We have a nice one called GIPSY DE CHOISEL who will be running in an Introductory Hurdle at Ascot next weekend. He’s won his only start in France and is very exciting.

 

Q. Hi Nicky, will Mister Coffey be kept hurdling this season and is the Betfair Hurdle the main target?

The trouble is, I have rather exposed him, but I had to because he’d only had two runs therefore couldn’t run in a class two or class one Hurdle until I had given him another run and I tried to find a small race somewhere but couldn’t find anything suitable so he went to Sandown and we all saw what he did there so, yes, something like the Betfair Hurdle would have to come into the equation now. Maybe you can come to the yard and do my race planning!

 

Q. I see you may have had a change of heart, re Champ for the King George. How is his jumping and have you ironed out the jumping to the left, which obviously wouldn’t suit Kempton?

May I say you have summed up the horse very well. He does jump to the left and yes I have ironed out his jumping to the left, well I’ve tried to anyway! He’s been to Henrietta Knight’s place to have some intense jump lessons which has hopefully done the trick but I don’t know If it has worked because we haven’t schooled him since he arrived back and we’ve also hobdayed him which meant he had a short time off for that. He is ONLY in the King George as a complete back stop because he’s much more likely to go to Ireland for the Savills Chase at Leopardstown if I can get him ready for that in time, but he’s only just back cantering now and there is only one day that matters and that’s Gold Cup day in March. It’s going to be difficult for him and Santini because neither are suited to Kempton but I rang up JP and said if for some reason we can’t go to Ireland we should put him in the King George purely as back up plan but at this stage we have absolutely no intention of running.