Nicholls' Week Ahead: The Timeform Preview

Weather permitting, it looks like being a busy weekend for the champion trainer, with a number of horses who have been prevented from running by the elements entered to run....

With Wednesday's and Thursday's wholesale jumps abandonments ruling out a host of entries for the yard, it looks as though the task of taking over where Dildar, Sanctuaire and Ted Spread (combined for a Nicholls treble) left off at Taunton last Tuesday could fall to Balding Banker, Bold Chief and Saint Roque, who are all entered in the novice hurdle at Kempton on Friday. Balding Banker has the highest Timeform rating of the trio, earning a figure of 119 with his second at Wincanton on his penultimate start, but Bold Chief (110p) is still open to plenty of improvement and Saint Roque (109p) falls into the same bracket after shaping well on his hurdling debut at Hereford.

The trainer also has the choice of Cristal Bonus, Crack Away Jack or Michel le Bon in the graduation chase, while unraced pair Atlantic Roller and Skywatch look intriguing entries in what should prove an informative National Hunt flat race, though it bears remembering that the meeting is not certain to go ahead (a card of 'jumpers' bumpers' is on standby).

Provided Newbury escapes the worst of the weather, Saturday could be a stellar day for the stable with a raft of star performers due to take to the stage. Edgardo Sol and Black Thunder will have their work cut out in the opening Novices' Hurdle should leading Supreme Novices' candidate Simonsig turn up, but the hat-trick-seeking Deireadh Re will be worthy of consideration in the extended three-mile handicap hurdle. That said, an even more interesting representative in the race is Sonofvic, who ran Grands Crus to two lengths on his chase debut in November but reverts backs to hurdles after jumping sloppily and almost unseating Ruby Walsh at Cheltenham last month.

The trainer could declare three in his bid to achieve what would prove a poignant victory in the inaugural Grade 2 Betfair Denman Chase, with the retuning What A Friend looking his best chance of overturning reigning Gold Cup champion Long Run. Aiteen Thirtythree, whose owner also owned Denman, is a confirmed runner but has a lot to prove, whilst even Walsh couldn't convince Tidal Bay to put apply himself fully in the Argento Chase at Cheltenham last time.

Champion Chase outsider Hold Fast impressed with his jumping when scoring on just his second start for the stable last time, but he could have his work cut out against Cue Card, Sprinter Sacre and the returning French Opera in the Betfair Super Saturday Chase, so attention is turned to the newly-titled Betfair Handicap Hurdle, which sees the reappearance of last year's unbeaten Triumph Hurdle winner Zarkandar. Champion Hurdle fancy Zarkandar is top-rated for Saturday's race by 1 lb and is the only horse bar Darlan (bottom of the figures) who has a Timeform 'p' to indicate potential for improvement, so should be capable of going very close off a BHA rating of 151. The trainer has stated that the five-year-old, who has had a summer breathing operation, is likely to come on for the run, however, and he will be ably backed up by top-weight Brampour and soft-ground winner Empire Levant.

Although both Join Together and Silviniaco Conti are entered in the three-mile novice chase on the card, Nicholls has said they will be targeted elsewhere should ratings-header Grands Crus line up, and the latter would be the one to beat in the re-staged Grade 1 Scilly Isles Chase. Should Silviniaco Conti be declared for that contest, it's presumed that either Cedre Bleu or Pacha du Polder will take their chance in the Kingmaker at Warwick, where they could be joined by Frankie Figg, who will be looking to regain the form that saw him win a Grand Sefton when with Howard Johnson in the Betfair. Don't Settle For Less Handicap Chase, and point winner Ruben Cotter, a possible for the novice hurdle.

With The Minack having been taken out of the Grade 1 Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown, action a little closer to home is the order of the day on Sunday with a bumper entry at Exeter featuring Taoufick du Seuil (also in at Hereford), who was placed in both bumper starts in his native France, and the Timeform Betfair Racing Club-owned Unpartou.

Timeform / 8 Feb 2012