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Paul Nicholls: My Saturday runners at Sandown

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The Tingle Creek takes centre stage on Saturday, with Kauto Stone representing Ditcheat after Tataniano's withdrawal, but Paul has plenty of interest all day at Sandown. He talks us through their chances...

12:55, Sandown
Black Thunder

Is distantly related to Tataniano, who we had terrible news about yesterday and is out for the season. Was far too inexperienced and green to do himself justice on his racecourse debut in a Chepstow bumper in March but ran with a fair degree of promise all the same in fourth. And he showed the benefit of that run when winning by nine lengths on fast ground at Newton Abbot in May. Good ground clearly suits him well and he has schooled and worked well in preparation for this. A hot race with the likes of Knight Pass in opposition and he will improve - mentally, as much as anything - for the run but he won't be disgraced.

13:25, Sandown
Poungach

A Stratford bumper winner, he pleased us when a good third on his hurdling debut at Ascot in November, as he was very much a physical work in progress. So he absolutely delighted us when going back to Ascot and winning a decent novice over 2m4f, but unfortunately he picked up a minor injury in that race, so we called time on the season. Is a beautiful horse, in many ways the apple of my eye, and I would like to think that he could make his presence felt in the better novice chases this season, as he works and jumps so well at home. But we start him off in a handicap hurdle here before going over fences, as I think he still needs more experience before going down that route. But I think he has definite chances off a mark of 137, and is fit and is in good nick.

13:55 Sandown
Al Ferof

Came good with a vengeance last season, and his two-length defeat of subsequent wide-margin Aintree winner Spirit Son in the Supreme at the Festival was a phenomenal effort. And we had to be thrilled with his chasing debut success at Cheltenham last month, as he made no errors and really warmed to his jumping as the race progressed. And the bare form of his seven-length defeat of Astracad (who had already shown smart chase form at Perth and Aintree) makes pretty good reading, too. I never have my novice chasers primed first time up, so let us hope that he continues to please and progress throughout the season, starting here. I have continued to do a lot of schooling with him at home as well.

14:30, Sandown
Edgardo Sol

Was given a great, if now infamous, ride by Ruby when getting up by a nose over fences at Aintree and we took advantage off his 5lb lower mark over hurdles and sent him to a 2m1f handicap at the Paddy Power meeting. And he certainly made the most of it as he dotted up by six lengths from the favourite Cape Dutch, an in-form and progressive horse himself. He surprised us a bit there but, unsurprisingly, the handicapper reacted by raising him considerably, and off a 12lb higher mark life will be far more difficult. But he is only a 4yo and that was only his third start for me since coming from France and let's hope he can continue on his fast upward curve. Conditions looks ideal.

15:05, Sandown
Kauto Stone

I left him in here because I spent an hour on Thursday morning trawling through various weather forecasts for Esher, and got some very mixed reports back. So it would have been stupid of me not to have entered him at the 48-hour stage if the worst wet weather forecast proved correct. And thank god I did after what happened to Tataniano yesterday. Obviously the more rain that falls the better for Kauto Stone as he is proven on the soft, but I am more than happy to let him take his chance here. Especially as all the jockeys were saying that it was riding testing yesterday; and if it rained significantly last night I may not have run Tataniano anyway. He has obviously done all his winning over further on soft ground in France, but he certainly isn't slow at home and shows me plenty of speed, and jumps great, so we take a shot with him at this Grade 1 prize. And, remember, Kauto Star won this race as a 5yo in 2005. A Grade 1 winner over fences in France, Kauto Stone joined me with a lot of hype attached to his name. Quite literally, as he is a half-brother to a certain Kauto Star. And he certainly was deeply impressive when winning at Down Royal last month, giving weight and a beating to Roi Du Mee and subsequent winner Blazing Tempo, jumping well there and fiddling beautifully the ones he got a bit close in at. Is clearly a very, very exciting prospect for us and I am not scared of taking on Sizing Europe and co with him here. And if he does do the business, he will be our seventh consecutive Tingle Creek winner, one of my proudest achievements.

15:40, Sandown
Meanus Dandy

Won the Badger Ales off a mark of 126 last season and ran an absolute blinder when ½ length 2nd to his well-handicapped stablemate The Minack off a 6lb higher mark in the race last month. Unfortunately, the pair pulled 9 lengths clear of the third and Meanus Dandy has paid for that with an 8lb rise in the weights - and that looks pretty harsh to me. He wouldn't want much rain, but he is clearly fit and well and has won on the course, so I am hopeful.

Find out my best chances this weekend.

Paul Nicholls / 3 Dec 2011

Paul Nicholls: My Saturday runners at Sandown

Weekend Runners RSS / / 03 December 2011 / 2

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Conditions at Sandown look 'ideal' for Edgardo Sol, according to Paul Nicholls

Conditions at Sandown look 'ideal' for Edgardo Sol, according to Paul Nicholls

"Kauto Stone is clearly a very, very exciting prospect for us and I am not scared of taking on Sizing Europe and co with him here."

The Tingle Creek takes centre stage on Saturday, with Kauto Stone representing Ditcheat after Tataniano's withdrawal, but Paul has plenty of interest all day at Sandown. He talks us through their chances...

12:55, Sandown
Black Thunder

Is distantly related to Tataniano, who we had terrible news about yesterday and is out for the season. Was far too inexperienced and green to do himself justice on his racecourse debut in a Chepstow bumper in March but ran with a fair degree of promise all the same in fourth. And he showed the benefit of that run when winning by nine lengths on fast ground at Newton Abbot in May. Good ground clearly suits him well and he has schooled and worked well in preparation for this. A hot race with the likes of Knight Pass in opposition and he will improve - mentally, as much as anything - for the run but he won't be disgraced.

13:25, Sandown
Poungach

A Stratford bumper winner, he pleased us when a good third on his hurdling debut at Ascot in November, as he was very much a physical work in progress. So he absolutely delighted us when going back to Ascot and winning a decent novice over 2m4f, but unfortunately he picked up a minor injury in that race, so we called time on the season. Is a beautiful horse, in many ways the apple of my eye, and I would like to think that he could make his presence felt in the better novice chases this season, as he works and jumps so well at home. But we start him off in a handicap hurdle here before going over fences, as I think he still needs more experience before going down that route. But I think he has definite chances off a mark of 137, and is fit and is in good nick.

13:55 Sandown
Al Ferof

Came good with a vengeance last season, and his two-length defeat of subsequent wide-margin Aintree winner Spirit Son in the Supreme at the Festival was a phenomenal effort. And we had to be thrilled with his chasing debut success at Cheltenham last month, as he made no errors and really warmed to his jumping as the race progressed. And the bare form of his seven-length defeat of Astracad (who had already shown smart chase form at Perth and Aintree) makes pretty good reading, too. I never have my novice chasers primed first time up, so let us hope that he continues to please and progress throughout the season, starting here. I have continued to do a lot of schooling with him at home as well.

14:30, Sandown
Edgardo Sol

Was given a great, if now infamous, ride by Ruby when getting up by a nose over fences at Aintree and we took advantage off his 5lb lower mark over hurdles and sent him to a 2m1f handicap at the Paddy Power meeting. And he certainly made the most of it as he dotted up by six lengths from the favourite Cape Dutch, an in-form and progressive horse himself. He surprised us a bit there but, unsurprisingly, the handicapper reacted by raising him considerably, and off a 12lb higher mark life will be far more difficult. But he is only a 4yo and that was only his third start for me since coming from France and let's hope he can continue on his fast upward curve. Conditions looks ideal.

15:05, Sandown
Kauto Stone

I left him in here because I spent an hour on Thursday morning trawling through various weather forecasts for Esher, and got some very mixed reports back. So it would have been stupid of me not to have entered him at the 48-hour stage if the worst wet weather forecast proved correct. And thank god I did after what happened to Tataniano yesterday. Obviously the more rain that falls the better for Kauto Stone as he is proven on the soft, but I am more than happy to let him take his chance here. Especially as all the jockeys were saying that it was riding testing yesterday; and if it rained significantly last night I may not have run Tataniano anyway. He has obviously done all his winning over further on soft ground in France, but he certainly isn't slow at home and shows me plenty of speed, and jumps great, so we take a shot with him at this Grade 1 prize. And, remember, Kauto Star won this race as a 5yo in 2005. A Grade 1 winner over fences in France, Kauto Stone joined me with a lot of hype attached to his name. Quite literally, as he is a half-brother to a certain Kauto Star. And he certainly was deeply impressive when winning at Down Royal last month, giving weight and a beating to Roi Du Mee and subsequent winner Blazing Tempo, jumping well there and fiddling beautifully the ones he got a bit close in at. Is clearly a very, very exciting prospect for us and I am not scared of taking on Sizing Europe and co with him here. And if he does do the business, he will be our seventh consecutive Tingle Creek winner, one of my proudest achievements.

15:40, Sandown
Meanus Dandy

Won the Badger Ales off a mark of 126 last season and ran an absolute blinder when ½ length 2nd to his well-handicapped stablemate The Minack off a 6lb higher mark in the race last month. Unfortunately, the pair pulled 9 lengths clear of the third and Meanus Dandy has paid for that with an 8lb rise in the weights - and that looks pretty harsh to me. He wouldn't want much rain, but he is clearly fit and well and has won on the course, so I am hopeful.

Find out my best chances this weekend.

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  1. Bruce Savage | 03 December 2011

    Great article!

    I think you got trainers running scared at Sandown today, all of your entries bar Meanus Dandy have earned the the comment "easily" last time out and that is what it's going to be for you today.

    I expect 4 winners minimum and 6 would be the icing on the cake.

    This is going to rival Dettoris Ascot 7.

  2. tony riley | 03 December 2011

    i really respected how honest you are about your horses chances and it really gives us half a chance of backing a winner at least ! belated congrats on kauto star's win up at haydock .