15:05 Down Royal - Wonderful Charm
"This has been the plan for him for a while, and hopefully he will go well in a race that has cut up, though he meets three in-form rivals and he doesn't have that much in hand of two of them on official ratings."
Betfair Ambassador Paul Nicholls sends one raider to France and two to Ireland this afternoon for a couple of races that he has a great record in. Read the Ditcheat handler's exclusive thoughts on their chances here...
14:30 Down Royal - Rocky Creek
We have been lucky enough to win this race four times in recent seasons but this looks the hottest renewal for a long while. The likes of Gold Cup runner-up On His Own, Boston Bob and First Lieutenant are proven Grade 1 horses, while Nicky's Ma Filleule clearly has to be respected after running away with the Topham off a mark of 150 last season.
But hopefully Rocky Creek can take the step forward up to that level this season. He had his niggles and setbacks last season but he still delivered excellent performances in the Hennessy and Argento and - despite getting a case of ringworm before the race - he got us a bit excited when running so well for a long way in the Grand National, I can tell you!
But I just wondered that he wasn't finishing off his races, so we checked him out and gave him a breathing operation in the summer. It is a long season ahead and this is a proper race, but he is in good nick, he went well in a racecourse gallop with Silviniaco Conti at Chepstow last week, and does go well fresh, and this will tell us whether we go to the Hennessy with him or maybe aim higher.
14:45 Auteuil - Zarkandar
Take out Gemix and this Grade 1 lacks strength in depth, so for nearly £140,000 to the winner, we will happily take our chances. After beating The New One in the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle in 2013, it was a little disappointing that he didn't get his head in front last season but he ran some excellent races, not least first time up at Ascot when failing by only five lengths to give Annie Power 11lb and when fourth in the World Hurdle.
And he ran ok in his two runs here over the summer. But he has had a good rest since and at one stage we were considering going for the Cesarewitch with him. However, that race came a touch too soon for him but he is in good order here. He runs in blinkers again and the services of Vincent Cheminaud, who is a good young French jockey who I think leads their jockeys' title by 20 or so winners.
Gemix is clearly the one to beat, and you'd have to give last year's winner Reve De Sivola a fair shout if he is at his best, but I think Zarkandar has a big chance. Three miles in heavy ground will be fine for him, he has a strong form chance and we recauterised his palate in the summer, which will hopefully help, too.
15:05 Down Royal - Wonderful Charm
If we have a good record in the JNwine.com Champion Chase then we have a pretty formidable one in this, as we have been lucky enough to win this race for the past six seasons. And we know that we are coming here with a fit and in-form horse with Wonderful Charm after his reappearance win in a good race at Newton Abbot.
I thought that I had him straight enough there, but it was still pleasing to see him get the job done, and I would have thought that would have brought him on again. This has been the plan for him for a while, and hopefully he will go well in a race that has cut up, though he meets three in-form rivals and he doesn't have that much in hand of two of them on official ratings.
No comments:
Post a Comment