Paul Nicholls: Time to look forward after a disappointing week at Cheltenham

"Clearly, we had our disappointments on the track last week – none more so than Silviniaco Conti falling 3 out in the Gold Cup – but I don’t dwell on negatives. You can’t."

Betfair Ambassador Paul Nicholls puts a difficult Cheltenham week into perspective and looks ahead to Aintree where he'll have several runners...

I don't think that we need to go into too deep an analysis of the stable's performance at Cheltenham here.

Clearly, we had our disappointments on the track last week - none more so than Silviniaco Conti falling 3 out in the Gold Cup - but I don't dwell on negatives. You can't. Of course, disappointment surfaced and hurt in the immediate aftermath of races that didn't go our way at the Festival - I won't lie to you - but moping around and feeling sorry for ourselves serves no purpose. 

You have to look forward in this game, no matter what it throws at you. 

And looking ahead to next season, and strengthening the squad, I have already bought three new horses this week.

Besides, success on the week was put into perspective by the injury to JT McNamara. All our thoughts remain with JT and his family.

The importance on horseracing to everyday life was put into even sharper context by the tragic death of Clifford's son, 21-year-old Dominic Baker, in a car accident before the Festival. In the grand scheme of things, the fact that a few horses didn't come up to our expectations is pretty much an irrelevance.

And that is why I was choking back the tears after Salubrious won the boys' race on Friday. It was such an emotional win, and for all the team to be in the winners' enclosure, Clifford and his family, and mine, with Harry riding the winner, really got to us all. 

Clifford is some man in how he has dealt with the past few weeks. And you don't need to tell the joint-owners of Salubrious, Andy Stewart and David Johnson, just what cruelty life can throw at you either. 

Everyone knows what happened to Andy's son Paul, and how unyielding David has been in his fight against cancer.

But you won't find them feeling sorry for themselves, and men with a more positive mindset and mental strength, you couldn't wish to meet. So you won't find me feeling downbeat. After all, we have had some fantastic Festivals in the past and no doubt will do so in the future.

It is always onwards on upwards here and focusing on the positives - and we had a lot of placed horses during the week anyway, and lots that ran well - so we move on to Aintree.

And we have plenty of fresh horses to take to Liverpool. But, like everybody else, I really do hope that we get some decent ground. We won't make a decision on any of the Cheltenham horses until we get them back in full work next week, but I can tell you about my plans for plenty of my other runners that were kept back for Liverpool.

Irish Saint goes for the juvenile, but at the moment I have my eyes set on some French targets later on in the season for my Triumph placed horses Far West and Sametegal. 

Prospect Wells goes for the 2m4f Aintree Hurdle, a race in which World Hurdle runner-up Celestial Halo and Champion Hurdle fourth Zarkandar are possibles too, though Celestial obviously has the 3m Liverpool Hurdle as an option too. Next week will tell us whether we have any runners in the Bowl, but we have Toubab (needs good ground), and possibly Rebel Rebellion, earmarked for the Red Rum Chase.

We have freshened Fago up and he seems to be coming back to himself again. He has the two mile novice chase as a possible target, as does Rebel Rebellion, and Pacha Du Polder has several options, including the Topham. Funny Star, not seen out since Aintree in October, could go for the 2m4f handicap hurdle. And I am looking forward to running Newbury runner-up Vago Collonges in the bumper.

And we have a couple of strong hands to play in the novice chases with Rolling Aces and Rocky Creek.

Michel Le Bon bounced back to form in blinkers last time and they will be on again as he bids to follow up in the 3m1f handicap chase, and we have Easter Day, Wilton Milan and Just A Par as possibles for the novice hurdles.

Then there is the Grand National itself.

It is hard to believe history will repeat itself after Neptune Collonges' win last year, but I have aimed Join Together at this race all season. He schooled well this week, is going to have a racecourse gallop early next week, and I am happy with him. Harry The Viking is also well after his Cheltenham run but would like the ground to dry up, and What A Friend will also have an entry for the Betfred Bowl because I wouldn't want him to be carrying top weight in a soft-ground National. We are keeping our options open with him.

So, after the nightmare of Dominic's death, we can dream. 

But if we wake up empty-handed on the Sunday after Aintree it won't be the end of the world.  

Far from it. 

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Ryan Moore: How Champions Day can move forward in the future

A Champion Stakes featuring Frankel and taking on Cirrus Des Aigles and Nathaniel is clearly out of the top drawer but at the end of the day the race has attracted just six runners for a massive pot...
If the ground is deemed suitable by Sir Henry, then Frankel will win by seven lengths.

Nobody wants to get behind a top class meeting more than Ryan Moore and he is a big supporter of the Champions Day concept. Here he suggests some improvements for the organisers to consider.

It will obviously be a crushing blow to all concerned if heavy ground sees the withdrawal of Frankel at Ascot tomorrow.

But I fear for the future of Champions Day, full stop.

I appreciate that it is almost sacrilege to question the wisdom of the day, but I think we have to be honest with ourselves and everyone should stop pussy-footing around the subject.

I know plenty of people who share the same concerns that I am going to express now - and Julian Muscat touched upon them in the Racing Post this week - but they almost feel intimidated into silence and acceptance. Intimidated may be a touch strong, but you know what I mean.

Everyone applauds the concept of us having our own Champions Day and Ascot and all concerned have done a great job to get it up and running. It clearly involved overcoming a hell of a lot of self-interest to get it staged.

And you have to give Qipco the utmost respect for supporting the meeting to such a stunning degree, especially in terms of the prize money on offer.

Their involvement is a massive plus for the sport.

So nothing but praise on that level. And no-one wants to get behind a top class meeting in this country more than I; as I have said before, above all else, and that includes jockey titles, I work to be involved in top class racing.

But at the moment I think Champions Day ranks some way behind the Arc and Breeders' Cup meetings, and is clearly a work in progress.

There are obvious issues to address, not least the quality of the cards, on which races "clash" with themselves, the timing of the meeting, and the lack of variety on the card. And I am not even going to mention the apprentice race on the card. Well, I might a bit later.

Take out Frankel last year and this, and what are we left with? Pretty much two cards - although I fully accept the Champion Stakes was a top class race last year, with Frankel sparkling in the QEII - that wouldn't particularly stand out during a Royal Ascot meeting.

And when I look at Champions Day, I see a dilution of the domestic end-of-season racing, not a strengthening.

Let me explain.

Let's go through tomorrow's Ascot card. And one thing that immediately strikes me is that it is just a six-race card - and one of those races is a 0-100 apprentices handicap worth 30k, for god's sake - and that is surely unacceptable for such a showcase meeting. Compare that with an Arc or Breeders Cup card, which give racegoers a breadth and depth of racing that Ascot tomorrow cannot currently compete with.

We have a stayers race that features three previous Gold Cup winners but who come here in variable form, a Champion Sprint Stakes that wouldn't get many pulses racing (though, to be fair, not many sprints have these past few years), an up-to-standard Fillies and Mares Group 2 (though one lacking top class fillies and mares such as Danedream, Shareta and The Fugue, not to mention the Arc winner), and a QEII that lacks real strength in depth for a Group 1 mile race (you may think that is harsh but compare this field to the one that Excelebration beat in the Marois).

A Champion Stakes featuring Frankel and taking on Cirrus Des Aigles and Nathaniel is clearly out of the top drawer but at the end of the day the race has attracted just six runners for a massive pot.

So I think the quality issue needs addressing, and that must surely be linked to its proximity to the Arc and Breeders Cup cards.

I know you have more chance of turning on the TV these days, and not seeing Clare Balding, than getting new meetings staged - hence my applauding the fact that I even have a Champions Day meeting to comment on - but surely the more natural home for this meeting is King George Day in July.

I appreciate that Goodwood would probably have something to say about that but if Champions Day is going to be the sport's flagship event, then it has to take priority. Ascot in October is probably not going to attract the best, going forward.

And there is probably too much of a crossover between the 1m and 1m2f races, and probably the 1m2f and 1m4f, on the card, in the likely event of testing ground at this time of year.

But arguably a more pressing concern of mine is the lack of variety on the card, and by that I mean the absence of two-year-old races. Surely, they have to be an integral part of such a day.

I don't think Future Champions Day at Newmarket is anywhere near the finished article yet, and when I looked at the 2yo races last week, I saw too many options and clashes.

To me having the 6f Middle Park, 7f Dewhurst and 1m Autumn Stakes on the same card prevented some high-class and more informative clashes. I would have loved to have seen some of the horses from the Autumn Stakes take on Dawn Approach and beefing up the Dewhurst.

We can have a "future stars" apprentice race, but no "future stars" 2yo races?

So what we currently have is Champions Day meeting that has the foundations in place, but needs a lot of the rough edges knocked into shape and built upon.

Having said all that, I'm fully behind the concept and doubt that I have said anything that the organisers aren't fully aware of and a lot of people in racing aren't already thinking. And I won't be getting involved in any future debate on this; I have just given my honest opinion and will leave it there.

Oh, and by the way, if the ground is deemed suitable by Sir Henry, then Frankel will win by seven lengths.

And no-one will remember any of the other five races, anyway.

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Paul Nicholls: Looking forward to Kauto's Friday gallop

Latest News / Paul Nicholls / 08 March 2012 / Leave a Comment

You can read Paul here after Kauto's Friday gallop

Fresh from a busy morning at Ditcheat, Paul Nicholls provides an update on Kauto Star's progress...

Very little to report on the Kauto front today, but I said I would give a daily update, so here goes.

Kauto Star enjoyed his usual morning preparation before having two canters up the hill with Big Buck's and he continues to please us and head in the right direction.

So we look forward to his racecourse gallop at Wincanton tomorrow. I will give you an update in my column immediately after the work.

We have had a very busy morning here today, schooling on the grass.

Zarkandar went with Pearl Swan, and both looked particularly sharp. Brampour schooled with Prospect Wells, and Ulck Du Lin worked with Sonofvic.

Owner Graham Regan breaks the news that Niche Market has been retired following a tendon injury......

More good news from Ditcheat, as Paul Nicholls announces a change of plan for Kauto Star this Friday. He also explains why it's important not to get too excited just yet......

Paul Nicholls provides an update on the fitness of Kauto Star following the fall he sustained in schooling......

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