"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" => "Paul Nicholls: My Saturday runners at Sandown : Weekend Runners : Paul Nicholls", "desc" => "Paul has only four runners in action this weekend and four of them go off at Sandown on Saturday. Here he provides detailed insights into their chances......", "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()) { ?>

Paul Nicholls: My Saturday runners at Sandown

View market

Paul has only four runners in action this weekend and four of them go off at Sandown on Saturday. Here he provides detailed insights into their chances...


14:05 Sandown

Hold Fast

Put up his best effort when beating Bellvano by a neck at Southwell last season. Made a pleasing enough debut for me at Newbury on his reappearance, when a seven length fourth to Rileyev, who ran well in defeat at Cheltenham next time out and re-opposes here on 12lb worse terms. He was due out at Ascot last month but we had to withdraw him because we found him to be lame on the morning of the race. He's fine now but he looks handicapped to the hilt to me, and just a 1lb drop in the weights since Newbury is probably not enough to see us confident of success here. Has never raced on soft ground but I reckon it may just suit him. And although he ideally wants 2m4f, 2m is usually a real test at Sandown.

14:35 Sandown

Prospect Wells

We didn't originally enter him for the race at Monday's five day stage, but did subsequently after only five were declared and the race re-opened; after all, it's a valuable Grade 1 race and we probably go into it as the form horse. I know some punters will think that backing horses in such circumstances is not ideal - that is, he wasn't specifically being targeted at this race - but he is well at home, and I certainly wouldn't be running him here if I didn't think he would give his true running. And the form this former Flat Group 2 winner has shown in his four hurdle starts probably makes him the one to beat here. His four length defeat of All The Aces (who he gave 5lb) at Newbury has been handsomely franked by the runner-up and we were certainly happy enough with his one-and-a-half length fourth at Ascot off a mark of 142 last time. That said, things didn't fall his way at Ascot last time and we think he is better than he showed there. If he is, then he should go close to winning this, though I think he will be at his best in a strongly run race (which he isn't sure to get here, with just five runners) and the likes of Colour Squadron and wide margin Auteuil winner Captain Conan are unexposed horses you have to respect. The Supreme remains his aim after this.

15:10 Sandown

Neptune Collonges

The handicapper gradually keeps on giving us hope that we will get Neptune Collonges in the winner's enclosure once again, but I think he needs to be a lot more generous still before he graces the number one spot in a handicap! His win in the Argento last season notwithstanding, in all honesty he is a shadow of the Grade 1 winning horse he was in his pomp a few years ago, when beating the likes of Snowy Morning by seven lengths in the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup, and I think a mark of 159 still overplays his current ability. But at least the handicapper has him going in the right direction, dropping him 7lb after the Hennessy and a further 2lb after Ascot. And, to be fair, there was a lot more promise in his fourth to The Minack last time. He is one from one at this track, having won a novice hurdle here in 2005, and is in good order, but I think it is asking an awful lot of him to be giving so much weight to some up-and-comers here. But if he builds on his Ascot run, who knows? The less rain the better for him, as I think he needs decent ground these days.

The Knoxs

Was really impressive when beating Five Dream off a mark of 132 over hurdles at Exeter in November, but unfortunately the handicapper was also very much taken by the performance and raised him a colossal 18lb. That forced our hand somewhat so we ran him against the likes of Oscar Whisky in the Relkeel last time, and he finished last of five. But even though that company was far too hot for him, he just didn't fire at all and I would be tempted to ignore the run, especially as he was always up against it over 2m5f on good ground in that class. But we try him over a more suitable trip and ground here (he won over 3m on soft ground at Exeter) on his return to fences. We ran him over hurdles at Exeter because his jumping of fences at home simply wasn't at an acceptable level. But we have done loads of work with him in that area, and we are much happier with him now. Clearly, I want to see him jump as well on the track as he now does at home. But if he does he would have a chance off a chase mark of 139, given he was rated, an admittedly stupidly high, 150 over hurdles going into the Relkeel. A slight word of warning - it may sound silly to say, given that he has won at Exeter and Carlisle, but on what he has shown us, he may be slightly better on a left-handed track. Ryan, who has done the schooling on him at home, takes the ride and 3lb off.

* * *

Betfair has scoured the markets to give you our Multiples Banker selection for today's racing. Find out who it is here. Get up to £100 Cashback if our Banker lets your Multiple down.

Paul Nicholls / 7 Jan 2012

Paul Nicholls: My Saturday runners at Sandown

Weekend Runners RSS / / 07 January 2012 / 6

" class="free_bet_btn" rel="external" onclick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/G4/inline-freebet');" target="_blank">
Can Neptunes Collonges succeed on Saturday?

Can Neptunes Collonges succeed on Saturday?

"I certainly wouldn't be running Prospect Wells here if I didn't think he would give his true running."

Paul has only four runners in action this weekend and four of them go off at Sandown on Saturday. Here he provides detailed insights into their chances...


14:05 Sandown

Hold Fast

Put up his best effort when beating Bellvano by a neck at Southwell last season. Made a pleasing enough debut for me at Newbury on his reappearance, when a seven length fourth to Rileyev, who ran well in defeat at Cheltenham next time out and re-opposes here on 12lb worse terms. He was due out at Ascot last month but we had to withdraw him because we found him to be lame on the morning of the race. He's fine now but he looks handicapped to the hilt to me, and just a 1lb drop in the weights since Newbury is probably not enough to see us confident of success here. Has never raced on soft ground but I reckon it may just suit him. And although he ideally wants 2m4f, 2m is usually a real test at Sandown.

14:35 Sandown

Prospect Wells

We didn't originally enter him for the race at Monday's five day stage, but did subsequently after only five were declared and the race re-opened; after all, it's a valuable Grade 1 race and we probably go into it as the form horse. I know some punters will think that backing horses in such circumstances is not ideal - that is, he wasn't specifically being targeted at this race - but he is well at home, and I certainly wouldn't be running him here if I didn't think he would give his true running. And the form this former Flat Group 2 winner has shown in his four hurdle starts probably makes him the one to beat here. His four length defeat of All The Aces (who he gave 5lb) at Newbury has been handsomely franked by the runner-up and we were certainly happy enough with his one-and-a-half length fourth at Ascot off a mark of 142 last time. That said, things didn't fall his way at Ascot last time and we think he is better than he showed there. If he is, then he should go close to winning this, though I think he will be at his best in a strongly run race (which he isn't sure to get here, with just five runners) and the likes of Colour Squadron and wide margin Auteuil winner Captain Conan are unexposed horses you have to respect. The Supreme remains his aim after this.

15:10 Sandown

Neptune Collonges

The handicapper gradually keeps on giving us hope that we will get Neptune Collonges in the winner's enclosure once again, but I think he needs to be a lot more generous still before he graces the number one spot in a handicap! His win in the Argento last season notwithstanding, in all honesty he is a shadow of the Grade 1 winning horse he was in his pomp a few years ago, when beating the likes of Snowy Morning by seven lengths in the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup, and I think a mark of 159 still overplays his current ability. But at least the handicapper has him going in the right direction, dropping him 7lb after the Hennessy and a further 2lb after Ascot. And, to be fair, there was a lot more promise in his fourth to The Minack last time. He is one from one at this track, having won a novice hurdle here in 2005, and is in good order, but I think it is asking an awful lot of him to be giving so much weight to some up-and-comers here. But if he builds on his Ascot run, who knows? The less rain the better for him, as I think he needs decent ground these days.

The Knoxs

Was really impressive when beating Five Dream off a mark of 132 over hurdles at Exeter in November, but unfortunately the handicapper was also very much taken by the performance and raised him a colossal 18lb. That forced our hand somewhat so we ran him against the likes of Oscar Whisky in the Relkeel last time, and he finished last of five. But even though that company was far too hot for him, he just didn't fire at all and I would be tempted to ignore the run, especially as he was always up against it over 2m5f on good ground in that class. But we try him over a more suitable trip and ground here (he won over 3m on soft ground at Exeter) on his return to fences. We ran him over hurdles at Exeter because his jumping of fences at home simply wasn't at an acceptable level. But we have done loads of work with him in that area, and we are much happier with him now. Clearly, I want to see him jump as well on the track as he now does at home. But if he does he would have a chance off a chase mark of 139, given he was rated, an admittedly stupidly high, 150 over hurdles going into the Relkeel. A slight word of warning - it may sound silly to say, given that he has won at Exeter and Carlisle, but on what he has shown us, he may be slightly better on a left-handed track. Ryan, who has done the schooling on him at home, takes the ride and 3lb off.

* * *

Betfair has scoured the markets to give you our Multiples Banker selection for today's racing. Find out who it is here. Get up to £100 Cashback if our Banker lets your Multiple down.

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

(6)

  1. ross moore | 07 January 2012

    regarding al ferof and the arkle, there is only one arkle. al ferof clearly has the beating of sprinter sacre at cheltenham. al ferof was a second and a half faster than hurricane run in the champion hurdle over the same course and distance, so has the beating of peddlers cross. i believe in the adage of horses for courses and al ferof is a cheltenham horse. sprinter sacre can win by 20 lengths as many times as he wants at corses like donny kempton etc but these courses are not cheltenham. al ferof the next arkle winner.

  2. James | 07 January 2012

    Ross - ever thought that chasing is a very different game to hurdling?!

  3. Anonymous | 07 January 2012

    al ferof jumped all his hurdles like they were fences and your point is???

  4. Anonymous | 07 January 2012

    al ferof was brought to go chasing, anything he achieved over hurdles was a bonus.

  5. ChrisAuthor Profile Page | 07 January 2012

    Keep running Prospect Wells in races which are not going to suit and you'll sour him completely, that is if you haven't already.

    Clearly hated even second of that slow pace today and jumped abysmally.

  6. ross moore | 08 January 2012

    chasing is certainly a diferent game to hurdling, which is why his supreme novice hurdle win is that much more exciting as hes a chaser in the making.