Weekend Runners 
/ Paul Nicholls / 04 November 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Noel Fehily will be in action for Paul at Down Royal
"This is The Nightingale's Gold Cup - he has done loads of graft, and I have got him ready to fight for his life."
Paul provides the lowdown on his Saturday runners across the Irish Sea, including one that's pumped up for a big battle...
It was obviously disappointing that Ruby failed in his appeal to overturn the five day ban he picked up when winning on our Edgardo Sol at Aintree on October 22. Especially when the panel noted that one of the 'offending' strikes was for corrective purposes.
But I have now said all I am going to say on the matter - though I hope there could be changes down the line - and we get on with the job in hand.
And that means that Noel Fehily takes over at Down Royal on Saturday. He didn't let us down when standing in for an injured Ruby last season, and I have complete faith in him.
Here is my assessment of my two runners at Down Royal on Saturday. Let's hope for a good weekend as I am only six off 2,000 winners.
14:20 Down Royal
The Nightingale
This is a competitive and high class race, as you would expect for a Grade 1 contest, but The Nightingale has plenty in his favour. Most pertinent among them is that he is a very smart on his day and that day is normally first time up; he won on his debut, and on his reappearance in 2010 and 2011, last year beating Roberto Goldback by 11 lengths on this card. I gave him an each way chance when we stepped him up in class and went for the King George but you can forget his poor, pulled-up, effort there as we found out that he had a fibrillating heart problem afterwards.
We won't know whether he is fully over that ailment for sure until he races, but he gives me every sign in his homework that he's 100 per cent. And if he is, then he should give a good account of himself, although Sizing Europe (Champion Chase winner and second to Kauto in this race last year), Bostons Angel, Midnight Chase and Quito De La Roque, will be formidable opponents. This is The Nightingale's Gold Cup - he has done loads of graft, and I have got him ready to fight for his life.
14:50 Down Royal
Kauto Stone
Bids to follow up The Nightingale's win in this race last year, and certainly comes into the contest with plenty of expectation surrounding him, as a half-brother to Kauto Star with high class form already in the book in France. May have been beaten on his last two starts in France but showed his true worth when winning a Grade 1 chase over 2m6f by six lengths at Auteuil in November.
He's only five-years-old with his career ahead of him, but it is clearly exciting to have a horse of his quality join the yard and hopefully he can get off to a winning start for us, though with the likes of Blazing Tempo and the fit and in-form Roi Du Mee against him and getting weight, defeat wouldn't be the end of the world. But he has been schooling and working really well, and he's fit enough, all right.
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Don't forget to check out my column at 9am Saturday for all my Weekend Runners, including my best chances.
To bet on Paul's Down Royal double click here.
Want the latest betting news along with brilliant competitions and prizes for dedicated racing fans? Just follow @BetfairRacing, Betfair's new racing Twitter feed for racing lovers. They have several Official Breeders' Cup merchandise packs to give away over the weekend.
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