Nicholls' Weekend Runners: The Timeform Review

With just over a week to go before the Cheltenham Festival, runners were few and far between this weekend for Paul Nicholls...

No Loose Change was Nicholls' only representative on Friday afternoon, making his chasing debut in a novice handicap at Newbury, but he was unfortunately hampered four from the finish and unseated in the process. He did, however, jump well up until his departure having travelled strongly and looked a big player for much of the way, so he's well worth another chance.

Niche Market got things underway for Nicholls at Newbury on Saturday, finishing second in the veterans' chase behind the Philip Hobbs-trained Marufo. Niche Market jumped well for much of the contest and responded well to his jockey's urgings in the closing stages, but just couldn't get past Marufo on the run-in. Saturday's performance marked a joint-career-best effort for Niche Market, who now looks firmly on course for next month's Grand National, a race in which he finished fifth last year.

Ruby Walsh gave Aerial a fantastic ride in the Greatwood Gold Cup later on the Newbury card, galvanising the six-year-old gelding to get home in the closing stages, having looked well held four from the finish. He is reportedly set to head for the Byrne Group Plate at the Festival, shouldering a penalty, but it is likely he will find that contest too strong, with a weaker race off of a revised mark possibly a more attractive option. The trainer has also stated how the horse appreciates time between his races.

Pasco and Woolcombe Folly also represented the yard in the Greatwood Gold Cup, and the pair finishing fifth and seventh respectively. The former typically travelled in strong fashion before lacking a finishing effort, whilst the latter put in another laboured performance. Neither would be fancied to improve markedly next time with temperamental issues likely to hold them both back in the near future.

Sire Collonges was sent off the well-backed favourite for the next race, a handicap hurdle, but was pulled up relatively early and the obvious conclusion is that something was amiss. Subtle Sovereign rounded off the afternoon at Newbury, finishing eighth in the bumper. He was ridden fairly prominently in the early stages but his effort eventually petered out.

Takeroc was the champion trainer's only other runner on Saturday, going in a two-mile handicap chase at Doncaster. Takeroc did about as well as could have been expected under the circumstances, making smooth progress from further back than ideal but lacking a finishing effort once again.

Timeform / 5 Mar 2012