SANDOWN
12:05 Introductory Hurdle
Paros (Nico de Boinville)
I think he’s quite nice and funnily enough I’ve just been looking at his form from when he won impressively on his sole start in Dieppe. That was on soft ground so he should be very much at home on this surface and all of his work has been very good. He’s been with us quite a while so we all know him well and he is an extremely slick hurdler.
12:40 NH Novices’ Hurdle
Grand Mogul (Nico de Boinville)
To be honest he didn’t disgrace himself in a Grade Two at Cheltenham when he got badly hampered going into the last which seemed to stop all his momentum so we’re got in back down to two miles which I think will help because he’s quite a sharp horse and I’d imagine Nico will try keep it simple and make plenty of use of him anyway. The race has cut up quite considerably so I’d be disappointed if he isn’t able to get his career back on track.
1:15 Novices’ Handicap Hurdle
Chasamax (Nico de Boinville)
He ran another great race at Cheltenham last time where he looked for all the world like he was beaten after the last and then suddenly looked like he was going to get up but instead finished third behind One True King who has since come out and won again at Leicester on Thursday so the form has an decent look to it. That run suggests that he’ll probably get further but Nico thinks he’s much better over two miles and being right up there so we’ll bowl along if we have to and this looks a good race for him.
2:25 G1 TINGLE CREEK CHASE
Altior (Nico de Boinville) NON RUNNER
NON RUNNERLots of you saw him at Newbury the other day where he worked with Epatante and that will have really sharpened him up nicely. As you all know, this race has been the plan from the very beginning and everything has gone without hiccup in the lead up to it. He schooled last week and again on Thursday morning and was his usual brilliant self so I am extremely happy with him coming into this. It does looks a decent renewal but we have already beaten Politologue plenty of times and he’s managed to do it in soft ground too, albeit quite a while ago, and Altior is now a year older so obviously has the potential to be vulnerable to an improving horse, but I’m not sure there’s really anything like that lurking in the field and I see no reason why we should worry. NON RUNNER
3:35 Listed Handicap Hurdle
Mister Coffey (Nico de Boinville)
Rather unsurprisingly he got whacked up 10lbs for an easy win over course and distance last time which meant this race seemed the next logical step, but I liked the way he settled for Nico on that occasion so we’ll be trying to employ similar tactics again. This is obviously a significant step up in grade but we think a great deal of him and he’s a horse who has always shown us plenty at home. sometimes he can be a little too over zealous but I don’t mind if he matches it on the track and so far he’s doing just that!
AINTREE
2:40 G2 Many Clouds Chase
Santini (Jerry McGrath)
Let’s be clear, this isn’t his Gold Cup and I don’t think it’s his track as well, BUT, he is much more forward than his seasonal debut last year when he just about scrambled home in a modest race at Sandown and I probably didn’t have him quite ready but he’s been away to Newbury which will have sharpened him up a lot because he does take an enormous amount of work. Billy, who rides him every day is really pleased with him and they’re both very perky so this looks a good place to get his season started. His campaign will very much revolve around one race, and that’s one race in March, so he’ll probably only have one more run after this before Cheltenham because there aren’t many places you can go with horses like him. I’ve also got to try and get Champ started somewhere as well. The idea for him is to still go over to Leopardstown for the Savills Chase, which isn’t that far away now, and he’ll work tomorrow morning so we’ll have a clearer idea about him after that.
3:15 Grand Sefton
Might Bite (Jerry McGrath)
Well, what can I say about dear old Might Bite that you don’t already know? He has been a grand servant to us all at Seven Barrows and it wouldn’t be the same around the place without him. I was delighted with his first run back at Ascot and it was very much a return to the Might Bite of old and he would have needed it quite badly so there will definitely be improvement fitness-wise and I really think he’ll love this. We put him over some Aintree fences the other day and he was fantastic so I’m quietly confident he’ll run a big race over a trip which will be ideal.
