"163", "name" => "Paul Nicholls", "category" => "Weekend Runners", "path" => "/var/www/vhosts/betting.betfair.com/httpdocs/horse-racing/paul-nicholls/", "url" => "https://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/paul-nicholls/", "title" => " Nicholls' Week Ahead: The Timeform Preview : Weekend Runners : Paul Nicholls", "desc" => "The start of January is traditionally a quiet time for the Nicholls stable, with a lot of Ditcheat horses having recently had their bi-annual flu jabs (as Paul explains HERE) and, as a result, the Champion trainer has a limited number of runners this week......", "keywords" => "", "robots" => "index,follow" ); require_once '/var/www/vhosts/betting.betfair.com/httpdocs/horse-racing/paul-nicholls//MobileDetect.php'; $mob = new MobileDetect; if ($mob->isMobile()) { ?>

Nicholls' Week Ahead: The Timeform Preview

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The start of January is traditionally a quiet time for the Nicholls stable, with a lot of Ditcheat horses having recently had their bi-annual flu jabs (as Paul explains HERE) and, as a result, the Champion trainer has a limited number of runners this week...

In fact, Nicholls has just the one mid-week runner, namely Ramses de Marcigny, who goes in the Novices' Handicap Chase at Huntingdon (13:00) on Wednesday. Nicky Henderson's Cheney Manor sets the standard among those to have raced over fences, having run to a Timeform rating of 116 on his chasing debut at Ascot, and Ramses de Marcigny will have to be significantly better over the bigger obstacles than he is over hurdles (rated 104) to beat the Henderson runner.

Nicholls won't have his next runner until Saturday, when he's likely to be represented at both Wincanton and Sandown, and he has No Loose Change and Bold Chief entered in the opening Novices' Hurdle (13:20) at the former track over two miles and six furlongs.

No Loose Change looks the one to beat, with the form of his close third to Ballyrock at Hereford last time looking even better now after the winner's subsequent placed effort behind leading novice Fingal Bay in the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle at Newbury. Bold Chief will be making his hurdling debut for team Ditcheat, but he's a dual points winner and could be a useful sort based on his bumper display in November.

It is worth noting that No Loose Change also holds an entry in a similar race later on the Wincanton card (15:25), while Bold Chief also holds an engagement at Taunton on Monday.

Pasco and Hold Fast could complete Nicholls' Wincanton runners this weekend, the pair both entered in a handicap chase (14:50) over two miles and five furlongs.

Pasco could be relatively well handicapped if returning to the form he demonstrated towards the tail end of 2010, and though his latest display behind Time for Rupert was somewhat disappointing, it is likely that he will come on for that run and be more competitive on Saturday. Hold Fast remains relatively lightly raced, having had just the four chasing starts so far, and if able to progress from what he showed for Howard Johnson, as a number from the yard already have, he could be a handicapper to follow. His chasing debut for Nicholls was encouraging, finishing fourth and shaping as if in need of further, which he'll get on Saturday, and he could have a better chance than the ratings suggest.

Over at Sandown, the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle is the racing highlight of the weekend and will give a good guide to the order of merit among the two-mile novice chasers.

The race was re-opened after receiving just five entries, and Nicholls has entered Prospect Wells . Another former Howard Johnson inmate (showed smart form on the Flat), Prospect Wells has taken well to hurdling, winning a couple of novices before finishing an improved fourth in the Ladbroke last time, travelling well for much of the way before picking up in the closing stages. That was just his fourth start over hurdles and, with that experience likely to have brought him along further, the six-year-old should give a good account on Saturday and is likely to take high rank in the division for the remainder of the season.

Neptune Collonges and The Knoxs are Nicholls' other two entries at Sandown on Saturday and it is probably the latter who holds the greater chance of victory in what looks a competitive three mile handicap chase at 15:10.

Paul Nicholls has been in a tug-of-war battle with the handicapper over Neptune Collonges' mark for some time and the eleven-year-old remains difficult to place, but The Knoxs could be well treated over fences based on his hurdling form. A four-length winner of a Pertemps Hurdle qualifier at Exeter in November, The Knoxs wasn't himself at Cheltenham last time but may need softer ground than he got that day. Saturday will be his first start over fences for Nicholls (won a maiden and a novice for Howard Johnson last spring) and a BHA mark of 139 could underplay his ability (he's officially rated 150 over hurdles on the back of that Exteter win).

Timeform / 4 Jan 2012

Nicholls' Week Ahead: The Timeform Preview

Weekend Runners RSS / / 04 January 2012 /

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Prospect Wells (left) has been entered in the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown

Prospect Wells (left) has been entered in the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown

"Prospect Wells has taken well to hurdling, winning a couple of novices before finishing an improved fourth in the Ladbroke last time..."

The start of January is traditionally a quiet time for the Nicholls stable, with a lot of Ditcheat horses having recently had their bi-annual flu jabs (as Paul explains HERE) and, as a result, the Champion trainer has a limited number of runners this week...

In fact, Nicholls has just the one mid-week runner, namely Ramses de Marcigny, who goes in the Novices' Handicap Chase at Huntingdon (13:00) on Wednesday. Nicky Henderson's Cheney Manor sets the standard among those to have raced over fences, having run to a Timeform rating of 116 on his chasing debut at Ascot, and Ramses de Marcigny will have to be significantly better over the bigger obstacles than he is over hurdles (rated 104) to beat the Henderson runner.

Nicholls won't have his next runner until Saturday, when he's likely to be represented at both Wincanton and Sandown, and he has No Loose Change and Bold Chief entered in the opening Novices' Hurdle (13:20) at the former track over two miles and six furlongs.

No Loose Change looks the one to beat, with the form of his close third to Ballyrock at Hereford last time looking even better now after the winner's subsequent placed effort behind leading novice Fingal Bay in the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle at Newbury. Bold Chief will be making his hurdling debut for team Ditcheat, but he's a dual points winner and could be a useful sort based on his bumper display in November.

It is worth noting that No Loose Change also holds an entry in a similar race later on the Wincanton card (15:25), while Bold Chief also holds an engagement at Taunton on Monday.

Pasco and Hold Fast could complete Nicholls' Wincanton runners this weekend, the pair both entered in a handicap chase (14:50) over two miles and five furlongs.

Pasco could be relatively well handicapped if returning to the form he demonstrated towards the tail end of 2010, and though his latest display behind Time for Rupert was somewhat disappointing, it is likely that he will come on for that run and be more competitive on Saturday. Hold Fast remains relatively lightly raced, having had just the four chasing starts so far, and if able to progress from what he showed for Howard Johnson, as a number from the yard already have, he could be a handicapper to follow. His chasing debut for Nicholls was encouraging, finishing fourth and shaping as if in need of further, which he'll get on Saturday, and he could have a better chance than the ratings suggest.

Over at Sandown, the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle is the racing highlight of the weekend and will give a good guide to the order of merit among the two-mile novice chasers.

The race was re-opened after receiving just five entries, and Nicholls has entered Prospect Wells . Another former Howard Johnson inmate (showed smart form on the Flat), Prospect Wells has taken well to hurdling, winning a couple of novices before finishing an improved fourth in the Ladbroke last time, travelling well for much of the way before picking up in the closing stages. That was just his fourth start over hurdles and, with that experience likely to have brought him along further, the six-year-old should give a good account on Saturday and is likely to take high rank in the division for the remainder of the season.

Neptune Collonges and The Knoxs are Nicholls' other two entries at Sandown on Saturday and it is probably the latter who holds the greater chance of victory in what looks a competitive three mile handicap chase at 15:10.

Paul Nicholls has been in a tug-of-war battle with the handicapper over Neptune Collonges' mark for some time and the eleven-year-old remains difficult to place, but The Knoxs could be well treated over fences based on his hurdling form. A four-length winner of a Pertemps Hurdle qualifier at Exeter in November, The Knoxs wasn't himself at Cheltenham last time but may need softer ground than he got that day. Saturday will be his first start over fences for Nicholls (won a maiden and a novice for Howard Johnson last spring) and a BHA mark of 139 could underplay his ability (he's officially rated 150 over hurdles on the back of that Exteter win).

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