Paul Nicholls' Friday Runners: The Timeform Preview

Timeform give the ratings viewpoint on Paul's runners at Newbury, Sandown and Fakenham...

Given that Friday's meeting at Newbury is rescheduled from last Saturday, we've covered some of this territory before, and much of what we said then still stands. However, Paul does have a few runners who weren't initially slated to run at the weekend, starting with Take The Breeze, who joins stable-companion Tchico Polos in the Game Spirit Chase (13:15). The pair are closely matched judged on Timeform ratings, but Take The Breeze isn't sure to be suited by the step back to the minimum trip, so it could well be that Tchico Polos emerges as Paul's main challenger.

Paul runs two in the three-mile novices' hurdle at 14:25, namely Minella Stars and Tricky Trickster. Tricky Trickster actually comes out top on Timeform ratings on the form he showed when last seen over timber in a novice at Fontwell in January 2010, but he does have questions to answer at present having gone with very little enthusiasm in a handicap chase at Cheltenham on his reappearance. Minella Stars carries a penalty for his successful hurdling debut at Hereford last month (form working out), but looks open to plenty of improvement and has the makings of a very useful staying jumper. He looks the one to beat tomorrow, though Tim Vaughan's once-raced Our Island also looks a good prospect.

There are also a handful of Ditcheat runners at venues other than Newbury on Friday. At Fakenham, Paul looks to have found Promising Anshan an excellent opportunity to open his account over fences in the maiden at 14:00. Promising Anshan has run well in competitive handicap chases on his three most recent starts, achieving a level of form that is an awful lot better than anything his rivals at Fakenham can offer. A clear round should be enough to see him home.

In the following novice hurdle at Fakenham (14:35), Paul sends out the ex-French five-year-old San Remo Bello. San Remo Bello, who hails from the family of Ditcheat legend Azertyuiop, won a four-year-old hurdle in the French provinces last May, and shaped with plenty of promise when fourth behind some fairly useful sorts at Stratford on his British debut in October. The penalty he carries for that win in France doesn't make life easy, and several of his rivals come out better at the weights on Timeform ratings, but San Remo Bello looks a surefire improver all the same, and it would be little surprise if he progressed sufficiently to figure.

Paul's remaining two runners are at Sandown, where That'lldoboy goes in the two-and-a-half mile novices' handicap hurdle at 16:30. That'lldoboy is still a maiden under rules, but has shaped with degrees of promise on each of his three starts over hurdles, running his best race when fourth in a handicap at Taunton just over a week ago. He looks sure to win handicaps judged on that effort, but tomorrow's race has the makings of a hot affair, with several of his rivals seemingly better treated, at least on achievements to date.

The day's final runner is Just Amazing in the hunter at Sandown (17:00). Just Amazing held his form well over fences last season, winning four novices, and he sets the clear form standard among his rivals tomorrow. He reportedly has the Cheltenham Foxhunter on his agenda, and needs to win or finish runner-up in two hunters before March 1 in order to qualify for that race.

Timeform / 17 Feb 2011