SADLY there is no racing for us this weekend which is all rather frustrating and quite depressing, especially because this was a very important weekend for Altior and Champ but unfortunately there is nothing we can do about the weather and we are now forced to try and make other plans. What plans they will be, I can honestly say I do not know but I will endeavour to keep you all updated with things as they happen.

Obviously, this Saturday fitted in perfectly for Champ with regards to Cheltenham but that has now been scuppered and I’ve just come off the phone to AP and will be speaking with JP very soon as well. Everything has been compromised and therefore we are concerned, yes, that if we run next Sunday over three miles on testing ground, for his first run of the season, he doesn’t have as long to recover as I’d necessarily like so it has all got very messy. Taking a whole week off it really does bring you to the limit because we have under four weeks to give him the time he needs to get over his exertions before running in the Gold Cup. It could be enough time, who knows, but if he has a hard race (at Newbury) he would need much longer in between his races. That said, it is equally hard to think of him winning a Gold Cup without a prep race and I must admit he has been absolutely trained to the minute for the Denman Chase, he is spot on, and as you all know, eight days is a very long time in the life of a racehorse.

Many people have asked several questions on lots of our horses so I’ll try and cover them all in one go and the answers to the rest are below.

Buzz and Mister Coffey are highly likely to take up their engagement in the re-arranged Betfair Hurdle and if Buzz is good enough to win impressively off top weight then I suppose he would have to be considered a serious challenger for the Unibet Champion Hurdle but let’s just get his next run out of the way and look at Cheltenham afterwards if we are in the lucky position to do so.

Speaking of the Champion Hurdle, I was very impressed with Honeysuckle at Leopardstown last week and it’s pretty clear Epatante has a very strong opponent. Don’t forget Buveur D’air but this could easily end up a proper battle of two top class mares and I’m really looking forward to it. Epatante has been working great and, while she’s not very big, she has a massive heart and I pretty much leave her training to Sophie Candy who rides her every day.

Dusart is progressing very well after a very nasty incident where he managed to stake himself and I must admit, we thought that was it for him, certainly for this season, but I’m delighted to say that his injuries have healed remarkably and he arrived back at Seven Barrows on Monday with the view to at least getting him moving again. It’s much to early to say when he may run again but I am very optimistic that he might make Punchestown, or maybe, and it’s a big fat maybe, he could even be ready in time for Aintree. He’s only had one run and won, which always puts us in a difficult position because he obviously needs plenty more experience but he looks great, is already cantering and there is at least some good news coming from Seven Barrows!

"He's a proper horse."

Dusart – remember the name! @NdeBoinville @alexsteedman @NewburyRacing pic.twitter.com/Hgn4gj2chh

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 5, 2020

Lots have asked about our Juveniles and I have got to say that it’s very unlikely that Goodbye Stranger will run in the Triumph Hurdle. He will be a very high class horse in time and I thought he ran a solid race at Warwick when he did quite a lot wrong, he was very keen so Daryl had to drop him out by which time the winner had got away so I don’t think he’s quite ready for a race like the Triumph and Heross Du Seuil has missed so many engagements due to the weather and everything else but I am desperate to get another run into him so I should imagine he’ll now have to go straight into Graded Company for the Adonis at Kempton in two weeks’ time.

Pipesmoker was due to run at Newbury and I was really looking forward to getting him out again because he’s a very good horse and the timing would have been perfect for Cheltenham, but we are now on the back foot again and I don’t know what we’ll do with him now. It’s been very frustrating all season because he’s had so many issues and was declared to run at Cheltenham in October but was lame the night before so we had to pull him out and then we’ve just had silly niggly problems all the way through but I think and hope our patience will be rewarded because he is an extremely smart individual.

I was also hoping to run I Am Maximus in the Listed Bumper at Newbury tomorrow but he got sick a couple of weeks ago so had a few easy days but his tests are now all clear and hopefully we can crack back on with him but he certainly won’t be going to Cheltenham for the Champion Bumper. There is the option of the one at Aintree but I rather fancy taking Balco Coastal up there after he scored very impressively at Kempton in the week. He was purchased at the Goffs UK Point to Point Sale at Yorton Farm Stud and I think he could be very high class indeed.

Allart was very sore after his fall at Haydock and I’m not completely happy with him yet but I don’t want to go straight to the Marsh Chase off the back of a fall so I’d like to get at least one more run into him before Cheltenham, but as we are getting ever closer there isn’t much time for both so your guess is as good as mine as to where he might go, if indeed we can find anything.

Mister Fisher is in fantastic form and I must admit I’m particularly pleased with him. He doesn’t need to have another run so will skip Ascot next week and head straight to Prestbury Park for the Ryanair Chase. He goes well fresh, hopefully the ground will be very spring-like and I think he’d have a great chance.

It’s been suggested that On The Blind Side should have been given an entry in the Stayers’ Hurdle but he purposely didn’t have one because, in all honesty, I didn’t think he’s quite that class but there is the Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock which would seem very suitable so I’d imagine that’s where he’ll go next.

Lecales Article will be declared for the Novices’ Hurdle at Warwick on Monday over 2m5f which is exactly what he wants so he might as well go there and then we can look at Cheltenham for him. Timing-wise it still fits in perfectly and Patroclus may also line up because he did extremely well to win over 2m at Exeter last time so the step back up will help him.

Wiseguy did well to win under extreme conditions at Doncaster the other day and it was probably just his class that got him through, therefore he doesn’t want to be running around on this at the moment so he’ll have one more run in the spring and be put away to go Novice hurdling next season. He jumps beautifully and is a very exciting prospect.

Fix Sun is on the way back after having a bit of a bug and will be given an entry next week along with Gran Luna who has had a wind op and is also ready to run so all being well she’ll head north, south, east or wherever we have to go because I’d like to get her ready for the Mares’ Novice Hurdle. Dame De Compagnie still has the option of the Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham but I am slightly thinking the Mares’ Hurdle would be a more suitable option.

Gallyhill goes to Ascot for a 2m4f Novices’ Hurdle and then depending on what happens there, the Ballymore would have to enter the equation.

Flinteur Sacre was very disappointing at Doncaster and was no better than the time before at Newbury so we are going to have to go back to the drawing board. He was relaxing much better at home but unfortunately undid it all last time and I have got to try and get his head screwed on; how, I know not but he has got to settle down and start listening to us.

QUESTIONS

@SamgAbbott

How is Dickie Diver? And will he have a prep in the Reynoldstown with a view to qualifying for the NH Chase?

He is very well, thank you, and is going to have a run as soon as I can get the ground and right race. I don’t know if we would necessarily go for the Reynoldstown but the aim is definitely the NH Chase. He’s a maiden over fences so it’s fair to say we have work to do.

@TheReaper08

Morning Nicky, my question is how long after a horse joins the yard are you able to develop a potential plan of what the future might hold, ie hurdles, chase and possible distance to be campaigned over?

It all very much depends on how fit the horse is when he/she comes to us. If they are fit when they arrive you could probably make plans quite quickly, within say two or three weeks, but if they come having done nothing at all it obviously takes much longer to learn about them and what might be best for them. You can usually tell after two or three pieces of work how good/fit/ready a horse is, although some times they prove you wrong once they get to the track!

@scurloguechamp

Are you tempted to run Champ in the Stayers’ Hurdle after Newbury’s card abandoned? I know there is rearranged fixtures but that might be deemed a bit to close to the festival.

He’s been covered quite extensively at the top of this page but the Stayers’ Hurdle is currently not on the agenda.

@John_F_Kasasa

Hi Nicky, My question is, could we potentially see Craigneiche stepping up in trip after his impressive performance at Ascot?

Yes, I would suggest that is on the agenda and the Coral Cup would seem the obvious target. He got put up 12lbs for winning at Ascot so should just about sneak in somewhere near the bottom of the weights and Montecristo will also take his chance.

@ciaranmcb90

With Newbury abandoned this weekend have you given any thought to supplementing Altior for the Betfair Chase at ascot over 2m5f Saturday as an alternative and as a prep run for the Ryanair chase? This would give him 26 days to recover from that respective race.

I would imagine that is very unlikely.