Nicholls' Weekend Runners: The Timeform Review

Timeform take a look at a weekend where it was very much business as usual for Britain's champion jumps trainer...

With all the talk of coughing having threatened to overshadow the weekend for the Nicholls yard it must have come as some relief when three winners from four runners at Sandown and Warwick on Friday banished any thoughts of poor stable form almost as quickly as they'd arrived.

Egypt Mill Spirit was a sign of things to come when a much-improved fifth in the conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle that opened the Sandown card but it was Bold Chief who was the first to add the champion trainer's tally, producing a similar effort to easily take the 19f novice hurdle at Warwick. Bold Chief appeals as the sort to make into at least a good-quality handicapper and he should be as effective back over further.

Just under half an hour later Toubab, the shortest-priced Nicholls runner over the whole weekend, got the ball rolling at Sandown when winning his first chase at the third attempt. He'd reportedly "dented his head and removed a chip the size of a 50 pence piece" when taking a heavy fall at Haydock on his penultimate start and it was pleasing to see him show no ill effects, beating his three rivals with ease despite failing to settle early on. Bar a mistake at the third his jumping was good and he is now qualified for the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival, for which he trades at [13.0].

The hat-trick was achieved when Sky Watch, a Flemensfirth half-brother to fairly useful hurdler/smart chaser at up to 25f Shining Gale, made a winning debut in the closing bumper at the same meeting. Sky Watch's physique and pedigree suggest he's got a good future as a jumper as he's sure to benefit from this first racecourse experience.

Saturday didn't quite go as well as Friday with Workbench well beaten at Chepstow, and Dildar (held in fourth when unseating at the last in the Adonis Hurdle), The Reformer (pulled up in the handicap hurdle), and Royal Charm and Michel Le Bon (sixth and pulled up respectively in the Racing Plus Chase) all failing to hit the target at Kempton.

However, all was not lost as Cristal Bonus maintained his unbeaten start over the larger obstacles since joining the yard when producing a most assured round of jumping to claim the Grade 2 Pendil Novices' Chase. Whilst market rivals Zaynar (unseated after trying to refuse at the first) and Minella Class (possibly amiss) failed to complete, it was still an impressive display from Cristal Bonus, who had been prevented from being entered in the recent Scilly Isles Novices' Chase owing to undergoing antibiotic treatment for an infected hind foot before finding himself lame in another hoof at the beginning of the week. He deserves his place as [6.6] joint-market leader for the Jewson Novices' Chase on March 15.

The other Ditcheat runner to impress on Saturday was hurdling debutant Dodging Bullets, who ran to a very healthy Timeform figure of 129 when runner-up to the more experienced Grumeti in the Grade 2 Dovecote Novices' Hurdle. Although both were dual winners on the Flat, Dodging Bullets was actually rated 12 lb higher than his conqueror by Timeform in that sphere and, such was the promise showed on his first start over timber, he's likely to give the winner more to think about as he gains experience. Dodging Bullets was keen waited with behind a steady pace, not fluent at times and wandered once shaken up before two out but all that can be expected to be ironed out as he progresses.

There were only two runners for the stable on Sunday, both at Fontwell, and it was Sir du Bearn who came closest to making it three winners in three days when finding only Chariot Charger too good in the 22f novice chase. He'd won a lesser race over fences at the course on his latest start and duly improved on that, staying on encouragingly to keep the free-going winner honest while at the same time looking one of his yard's lesser lights in the division.

Lastly, although racing prominently for most of the way, The Knoxs was last of seven in the Grade 2 National Spirit, evidently failing to match last year's winning stable-companion Celestial Halo and he looks one of the stable's breathing operation candidates.

Timeform / 27 Feb 2012