Paul Nicholls: Exclusive thoughts on all five runners at Exeter

A quintet of Paul's horses go to Devon for a midweek spin including the very promising Curtain Razer. Read Paul's views on all five here

Al Ferof doesn't run at Bangor today for a number of reasons but chief among them is that Ruby isn't available to ride him. So we take the horse to Cheltenham on Sunday, where he is.

And that change of plan has two added benefits; firstly, we will avoid a potentially hard race with Peddlers Cross first time up, and secondly he will get some Cheltenham chase experience at the weekend.

But we have five runners at Exeter today; here are my thoughts on them:

12:50, 2m5f Novice Hurdle
Curtain Razer
Is an Old Vic half-brother to four winners, notably 2008 Irish Grand National winner Hear The Echo. Has shown plenty of promise himself already, landing two from two for Richard Barber, winning at Ottery St Mary and Buckfastleigh. As his pedigree would suggest, staying chases will be his game but a novice hurdle over this trip looks an ideal starting point for him. Philip Hobbs' Oscar Davy looks the one to beat here but, like all of my horses at the moment, he is very fit and well.

13:20, 2m5f Novice Hurdle
Ruben Cotter
Is a half-brother to a couple of winners and improved upon his point debut to win at Dungarvan in February. The form of that win gives us cause for optimism as the runner-up finished second in a Punchestown bumper next time up in May and the fourth has win since, too. But has some similarly unexposed horses in opposition, notably the likes of Newcastle bumper winner Triptico, so we can't be too confident. He is a lovely horse, though.

13:50, 2m7f Handicap Hurdle
The Knoxs
Fell on his first two chase starts (looking set to win well when falling at the last at Ayr in January) but went on to win over 2m4f in the soft at Sedgefield and by 19 lengths over 2m at Carlisle. But after schooling a lot over fences since joining us, he starts over hurdles, because his jumping at home so far has not been acceptable - but we will get there. So he races here off a mark of 132 over hurdles and that looks workable considering some of his novice hurdle form reads very well, such as his Newcastle defeat of Wymott before running in the Neptune at the Cheltenham Festival last year. Let's hope he can continue our good start for Andrea and Graham Wylie; I think he could go well.

Five Dream
Has been struggling in handicap chases so we switch him back to hurdles to see what he can do in this sphere. Looks plenty high enough in the weights for what he has done recently. Yes, he has run well off far higher hurdle marks in the past - such as when a close third to Sunnyhillboy off 142 at Sandown - but that was back in December 2008, so he has hardly dropped like a stone in the weights since then, running off 131 here. But hopefully a switch back to hurdles can rekindle his enthusiasm.

14:50, 2m1f Beginners' Chase
Current Event * * * Update: Current Event has been declared a non-runner * * *
Benefitted from a breathing operation when showing his true form when winning by 18 lengths at Newbury last March and you can expect to see a fitter and sharper horse than when a distant third at Chepstow on his reappearance, as that was always going to be his last hurdle start before going chasing. Has schooled well in preparation for this and gets all the allowances, but the smart Ski Sunday will have his supporters against us.

Paul racked up a 6793.0 Betfair Multiple SP seven timer last Saturday. Click here to place all of Paul's horses into one Multiples

Go Racing at Haydock on 18th November for just a £3 donation to the Prostate Cancer Charity. Enjoy top quality racing including the Junior Betfair Novice Chase, a Listed Hurdle and Graduation Chase which Paul will have plenty of runners aimed at. Find out more here: https://bit.ly/sv4LkK .

Paul Nicholls / 9 Nov 2011