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Paul Nicholls: Al Ferof had to get a Champion Chase entry...

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...but that doesn't make him a certain runner by any means, says Paul Nicholls

January is traditionally a quiet month for me, so last week Georgie and I managed to get away to Barbados for a few days as a guest of Mr & Mr Hales. And while I was out there, I also met up with Andy Stewart, and managed to get some business done as well as enjoying a bit of rest and relaxation before the season kick-starts into life once again.

But I see it was silly season in certain sections of the press while I was away.

I am, of course, referring to some of the coverage that surrounded Al Ferof simply being entered in the Champion Chase.

Obviously, I was out in Barbados with Jon, and I think he managed to get his picture in one paper three times in a week on the back of saying that the horse will "definitely have an entry for the race."

Everyone knows that we are always open and up front with the press, but occasionally you wonder whether it is all worth it. Especially when you get front page stories made out of nothing.

Take the Al Ferof story.

We mentioned in my column here a few weeks ago that the horse was being targeted at the Victor Chandler at Ascot on January 21, but I left it at that. Mainly because there was nothing more to say, other than the fact that the horse may as well go for a 100k race in gaining more experience before Cheltenham, rather than running for next to nothing in a novice chase somewhere.

Obviously, the horse was always going to get an entry in the Champion Chase because a trainer wouldn't be doing his job if he didn't cover all eventualities with his best horses. Just as Donald is doing his job by entering Peddlers Cross in the race, and so is Nicky by entering Finian's Rainbow in the Gold Cup. We would look pretty bloody stupid if something happened to the likes of Sizing Europe and Big Zeb, and we were left without the option of running in the race should it cut up very badly.

But the fact of the matter is that no one has ever said, or even hinted, that the horse is going to run in the race, and we get all kinds of speculation on the back of the entry alone.

I'll leave you with this question, which no one seemed to ask themselves when debating whether Al Ferof should go for the Champion Chase, or indeed would be aimed at it.

I have often run novices in Cheltenham handicaps - one of my two weekend runners, American Trilogy, immediately springs to mind - and I successfully pitched Shotgun Willy into the Aon as a novice in 2001.

But when was the last time when I went down the championship route with a novice at the Festival?

Aside from Al Ferof, I have also entered Ghizao, Hold Fast and Kauto Stone in the race.

I can reveal that Ghizao has had his soft palate cauterised, as he choked last time out at Cheltenham on New Years Day. He will go straight to the Festival, but I suspect he may run in a handicap there rather than the Champion Chase.

Kauto Stone is being aimed at the Ryanair at this stage, and he goes for the Betfair Ascot Chase next month.

Hold Fast surprised me when bolting up off a mark of 137 at Sandown on Saturday and we will take him to the Betfair Game Spirit at Newbury next month to see what we now have on our hands. We went down that route with Master Minded after he won the same Sandown race (off mark of 145), and we know what happened from there.

It is asking rather a lot for lightning to strike twice, I suppose.

But if you are not in it, you certainly can't win it. Ask Al Ferof.

And as for the answer to my question above.

Well, the answer is one, I believe - namely, Venn Ottery in the 2004 Champion Chase won by Azertyuiop.

But I think it is fair to say that his owner made that entry, and not me; if I had made it, I may have remembered the tongue strap, too.

And finishing fifth in the Champion Chase that year told me that Venn Ottery may well have won the Arkle, wearing a tongue strap, if he had run in that race instead, even though a certain Well Chief and Kicking King filled the first two places that year (I trained the third home, Le Duc).

Paul Nicholls / 14 Jan 2012

Paul Nicholls: Al Ferof had to get a Champion Chase entry...

Ante-Post Plans RSS / / 14 January 2012 / 1

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Al Ferof's Cheltenham plans are still very fluid

Al Ferof's Cheltenham plans are still very fluid

"A trainer wouldn't be doing his job if he didn't cover all eventualities with his best horses."

...but that doesn't make him a certain runner by any means, says Paul Nicholls

January is traditionally a quiet month for me, so last week Georgie and I managed to get away to Barbados for a few days as a guest of Mr & Mr Hales. And while I was out there, I also met up with Andy Stewart, and managed to get some business done as well as enjoying a bit of rest and relaxation before the season kick-starts into life once again.

But I see it was silly season in certain sections of the press while I was away.

I am, of course, referring to some of the coverage that surrounded Al Ferof simply being entered in the Champion Chase.

Obviously, I was out in Barbados with Jon, and I think he managed to get his picture in one paper three times in a week on the back of saying that the horse will "definitely have an entry for the race."

Everyone knows that we are always open and up front with the press, but occasionally you wonder whether it is all worth it. Especially when you get front page stories made out of nothing.

Take the Al Ferof story.

We mentioned in my column here a few weeks ago that the horse was being targeted at the Victor Chandler at Ascot on January 21, but I left it at that. Mainly because there was nothing more to say, other than the fact that the horse may as well go for a 100k race in gaining more experience before Cheltenham, rather than running for next to nothing in a novice chase somewhere.

Obviously, the horse was always going to get an entry in the Champion Chase because a trainer wouldn't be doing his job if he didn't cover all eventualities with his best horses. Just as Donald is doing his job by entering Peddlers Cross in the race, and so is Nicky by entering Finian's Rainbow in the Gold Cup. We would look pretty bloody stupid if something happened to the likes of Sizing Europe and Big Zeb, and we were left without the option of running in the race should it cut up very badly.

But the fact of the matter is that no one has ever said, or even hinted, that the horse is going to run in the race, and we get all kinds of speculation on the back of the entry alone.

I'll leave you with this question, which no one seemed to ask themselves when debating whether Al Ferof should go for the Champion Chase, or indeed would be aimed at it.

I have often run novices in Cheltenham handicaps - one of my two weekend runners, American Trilogy, immediately springs to mind - and I successfully pitched Shotgun Willy into the Aon as a novice in 2001.

But when was the last time when I went down the championship route with a novice at the Festival?

Aside from Al Ferof, I have also entered Ghizao, Hold Fast and Kauto Stone in the race.

I can reveal that Ghizao has had his soft palate cauterised, as he choked last time out at Cheltenham on New Years Day. He will go straight to the Festival, but I suspect he may run in a handicap there rather than the Champion Chase.

Kauto Stone is being aimed at the Ryanair at this stage, and he goes for the Betfair Ascot Chase next month.

Hold Fast surprised me when bolting up off a mark of 137 at Sandown on Saturday and we will take him to the Betfair Game Spirit at Newbury next month to see what we now have on our hands. We went down that route with Master Minded after he won the same Sandown race (off mark of 145), and we know what happened from there.

It is asking rather a lot for lightning to strike twice, I suppose.

But if you are not in it, you certainly can't win it. Ask Al Ferof.

And as for the answer to my question above.

Well, the answer is one, I believe - namely, Venn Ottery in the 2004 Champion Chase won by Azertyuiop.

But I think it is fair to say that his owner made that entry, and not me; if I had made it, I may have remembered the tongue strap, too.

And finishing fifth in the Champion Chase that year told me that Venn Ottery may well have won the Arkle, wearing a tongue strap, if he had run in that race instead, even though a certain Well Chief and Kicking King filled the first two places that year (I trained the third home, Le Duc).

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  1. Anonymous | 15 January 2012

    does this mean that you will not have a runner in the champion chase then mr nicholls?