Paul Nicholls: The lowdown on my Cheltenham runners

It's another big day at Cheltenham and Paul sends another big team, but can he land the big prizes?

12:10, 2m1f Juvenile Hurdle Trial
Hinterland
We bought Hinterland after he won the listed Prix Monarch at Auteuil by 10 lengths on his only hurdling start and he had done everything right at home before making his debut here last month, showing a real appetite for work as well as speed and an aptitude for jumping. And he delighted me in beating Hollow Tree by three lengths, with Secret Edge a further seven lengths away. The placed horses have both won since - albeit in weak races at odds of 1-10 and 8-11 respectively - and I think he will be even better with a stronger pace than he got last month, and he jumped beautifully there. Even though he is giving away weight here, I will clearly be very disappointed if he is beaten.

12:45, 3m1f 110yds Novice Chase
Join Together
Showed his class over hurdles when second to Mossley at Cheltenham and when winning by 20 lengths at Chepstow and this winning pointer could well have been set for a winning chase debut but for falling 5 out at Chepstow last month. But he made amends in style, under a superb ride from Ruby, when winning over course and distance last time. He is not the finished article jumping-wise and would appreciate any rain, but the form of the Cheltenham win was boosted by Teaforthree and Restless Harry at Chepstow last Saturday, and he will make his presence felt again here today.
That said, I see him as more of a candidate for the four-miler rather than over 3m here in March. But hopefully he will prove me wrong and show he has the required pace to go with his undoubted stamina. This is a hot race, though, and I really do want some rain for him.

13:20, 2m 110yds Handicap Chase
Takeroc
Won by 12 lengths at Aintree, so our hand was forced somewhat and we turned him out six days later at Ascot under a 6lb penalty. But the race came too soon, his jumping wasn't as fluent, and he didn't run up to that form. But ran much better after a three week break when third to I'msingingtheblues on his return to that course last time. He is probably in the grip of the handicapper but 2m on good ground suits him well, and Harry gets on well with the strong traveller.

Robinson Collonges
Despite winning twice, he was very much a "what might have been" horse last season and he disappointed me at Cheltenham and Aintree after looking such a promising novice earlier in the season. And, after a decent reappearance over hurdles at Chepstow, he again disappointed me when unplaced over the fixed brush hurdles at Haydock last time, a race which I thought would suit him. He just didn't seem to find a great deal, and didn't stay.
I suppose that he could find things happening a touch too quickly over 2m on good ground here but he didn't look slow when set to beat Wishfull Thinking in the Rising Stars at Wincanton last season, before departing 3 out. But the time for excuses for him has stopped; he has to do it on the track. And I have a sneaking feeling that he just might, at last, do so today.

13:55, 3m Novice Hurdle
Deireadh Re
He was quite impressive when winning at Worcester in June and I thought he was coming to win his race at Ascot last time, only to be worried out of it on the run-in. But that was still a good effort - the winner was a fair sort on the Flat and was backed from 50-1 to 12-1 after apparently working well in a racecourse gallop at Newmarket - so I wasn't at all downhearted, especially as they pulled 24 lengths clear of the third. And you would like to think that he will have learned a lot for the experience, too.

14:30, 2m5f Handicap Chase
Woolcombe Folly
Wasn't right when disappointing at the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals but showed his true worth when giving his rivals lumps and a weight and a beating to the smart Tanks For That in December. I was pleased enough with his reappearance third to Tataniano at Chepstow but he was never going when a distant second to Thursday's Peterbrough winner Gauvain last time. He clearly has his work cut out off a mark of 164 and giving weight all round here, but let's hope at least he finds this trip to his liking and travels into his race a lot more smoothly. He has been schooled beautifully in cheekpieces at home since his last run, so he runs in them here.

Ghizao
Beat Captain Chris by 10 lengths off levels at Cheltenham last season and followed up by beating the same rival by 4 ½ lengths giving him 10lb next time. Throw in the fact that he also ran Finians Rainbow to 2 lengths at Aintree, despite making a momentum-stopper 2 out and another mistake at the last, and you get a measure as to why I hoped this horse would make his presence felt in some of the better 2m-2m4f races this season. So his run in the Haldon Gold Cup was very disappointing, and his jumping let him down very badly there; he just seemed to lose his confidence after landing in the water early on. We have done loads of schooling with him since - he has been schooling three times a day - and I would be very hopeful that you would see the real Ghizao on Saturday.
I saw Andy Stewart made him his charity bet at the HWPA awards on Monday and I would dearly love to win the race that Andy sponsors in aid of Spinal Research. And I think we have a good shot, if he jumps.

15:05, 2m1f International Hurdle
Brampour
Has overcome a late, slight problem with puss in his foot but hopefully that won't be any concern to him here and he can continue his progression up the hurdling ladder. He worked brilliantly under Harry last Saturday, but we couldn't ride him out on Wednesday or Thursday because of the puss problem. But we put a shoe on him on Friday morning and he did a good, strong bit of work with American Trilogy, and he was fine.
We never really had him consistently right last season but a breathing operation certainly looks to have done the trick. I thought he would need the run at Ascot on his reappearance but he proved me wrong there and absolutely thrilled me when following up off a 10lb higher mark in the Greatwood, pulling clear on the run-in to win by a comfortable 2 ½ lengths, and the Ascot runner-up/Greatwood sixth Via Galilei didn't do the form any harm when only just touched off at Sandown on Saturday.
All credit to the owners for staying loyal to Harry and they obviously take the view that his knowledge of the horse is worth 7lb. I personally am not so sure, but Harry has certainly done nothing wrong. And he is sitting on a fast-progressing horse. But he will need to be to see off the likes of Menorah, Overturn and impressive Haydock winner Grandouet.

Sanctuaire
Very talented horse but awkward and frustrating in equal measure. However, is just the sort to pop up at a big price in a big race, especially if Overturn sets a fast and meaningful gallop from the front, and isn't allowed to dictate a slow tempo.
Sanctuaire never really recaptured the form of his Fred Winter win until we gave him a breathing operation and brought him back for the Scottish Champion Hurdle, where he dotted up. But we probably turned him out too quickly just a week later on his final start, and he didn't want to know. That showed his stubborn side but I saw definite promise in his reappearance run in the Greatwood - he travelled really well as usual there, and was slightly hampered coming to the last, before staying on nicely enough on the run-in to finish 8th - and I just have a feeling that he will have an on-day here.
Good ground is perfect for him, as is Ruby, so game on.

15:35, 2m4f 110yds 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 here, he started over hurdles at Exeter because I thought his jumping unacceptable. And thankfully I did, because he sluiced up in a handicap at Exeter, admittedly off a mark of just 132. And Five Dream, who he gave 1lb and beat 4 ½ lengths, went on to chase up Big Buck's at Newbury a fortnight ago.
All his best form has been on soft ground but I don't think good ground will inconvenience him at all and he has got an engine alright. We pitch him in at the deep end against the likes of Oscar Whisky, but at least we get weight and this will tell us where we stand. After being raised 18lb after Exeter, our hand was rather forced.

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Find out my best chance of the weekend here.

Paul Nicholls / 10 Dec 2011