Nicholls' Week Ahead: The Timeform Preview

A relatively low-key week for Nicholls with Mon Parrain arguably the stable's highest profile runner at Newbury on Saturday...

Current Event gets things underway for the yard on Thursday, entered in a novice chase over two miles and two furlongs at Fontwell. Current Event looks open to progression over fences having travelled and jumped well to win on his chasing debut last time, and there is no reason why he can't follow up successfully. He is 5 lb behind Get It On in terms of Timeform ratings but it looks perfectly feasible for him to find sufficient improvement and overtake that rival on his second start over the larger obstacles.

Debutant Easter Day and is Nicholls' other representative on Thursday, the £30,000 purchase entered in the bumper that closes the Chepstow card. As a half-brother to jumps winners in France, out of a winning hurdler/chaser around 2½m, it may not be until he tackled hurdles and fences that we see the best of him.

Curtain Razer, Italian Master and Polisky are all entered in the maiden hurdle due off at 14:10 at Newbury on Friday and it will be fascinating to see which of the trio take part in the two mile and five furlongs race. Polisky tops the field in terms of Timeform ratings, considered 10 lb superior to Curtain Razer and 43 lb superior to Italian Master, but he does have a 'squiggle' attached to his master rating to signify he may not be straightforward. Italian Master does at least have a 'p' next to his to his figure meaning he's open to improvement. Curtain Razer and Polisky both hold entries throughout the week, with Wincanton on Sunday also in the offing.

Frankie Figg is set to go to post in the two-mile-six-furlong handicap chase 30 minutes later on the card. Joint top-weight Frankie Figg has been well below form recently and it is difficult to predict what kind of performance he is likely to produce, with a return to his best needed to topple the likes of Suzy Smith's Aimigayle. Frankie Figg also holds an entry in a handicap chase at Bangor on Saturday, that contest looking to be of a similar standard to the Newbury race in terms of strength in depth.

No Loose Change and Minella Stars look the most interesting of the remaining Nicholls runners on Friday, the pair both holding entries in the three-mile handicap chase. No Loose Change arguably has the greater chance of victory, rated 2 lb ahead of his stable mate with a 'p' attached to his rating. He still has a bit to find with Nodebateaboutit, however, but, given that it will be only his second outing over fences, he should find enough improvement to be competitive at this sort of level.

Bangor is likely to be the venue for the majority of Nicholls' runners this Saturday with Sir du Bearn pencilled in to get things underway in the 15:20, a novice chase over three miles. Sir du Bearn is likely to have a solid chance of victory if able to reproduce the form he displayed last time at Fontwell, with only 4 lb to find with Duke of Lucca.

Themilanhorse will also be heading to Bangor this Saturday, with the possibility of running in a three-mile handicap hurdle, a race in which he is only 1 lb behind the top-rated Real Milan. There is every chance that Themilanhorse is better than the level of form he has been able to display so far and he could improve for the step up in trip, in the past shaping as if three miles is unlikely to pose any kind of problem. Themilanhorse also holds an entry in a conditional jockeys' handicap at Wincanton on Sunday and he should have his chance in either contest.

158+-rated chaser Mon Parrain is currently entered in a handicap chase over three miles and two furlongs at Newbury on Saturday. However, it bears mentioning that Mon Parrain shaped as if the trip is beyond him at Cheltenham last time and he may prove vulnerable to more guaranteed stayers. Mon Parrain is, no doubt, a talented performer on his day, as suggested by his position at the head of the Timeform ratings for the race, but it remains to be seen whether the [18.0]-shot for the Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Sandown (April 28) has the stamina reserves to be fully effective at the trip.

Timeform Betfair Racing Club horse Indian Daudaie and Bold Chief are two that could join Themilanhorse in the aforementioned conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle at Wincanton on Sunday. Themilanhorse currently heads the ratings for the contest with Bold Chief considered 4 lb inferior to his stablemate. Bold Chief looks to be on the upgrade, however, signified by the 'p' next to his rating, and it would be no surprise if he were to improve past Themilanhorse on just his third start over hurdles. Indian Daudaie has disappointed on his most recent starts and it is difficult to predict what level of form he will arrive.

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Timeform / 22 Mar 2012