Weekend Runners / Paul Nicholls / 24 November 2011 / 1

Plenty out for Paul Nicholls on Thursday with five at Newbury for the first day of the Hennessy meeting and two at Taunton. Read Paul's exclusive and honest views on all the stable's runners here on Betting.Betfair

13:35, Newbury
Rock of Deauville
Regular readers of this column will know how frustrating I have found Rock Of Deauville. He would put 140-rated horses to shame at home but off marks of 116 and 114 this season (he now races off 112 here), he has found nothing when the chips were down. So now Harry gets the chance to see what he can do. And at least "Morning Glory" as he is known here - that is Rock, not Harry - did actually deliver on the track last time as Becky Furber put him in front bang on the line when winning a charity race at Cheltenham at the Paddy Power meeting. You will not see a more cooler or better executed ride, as I told her to put his head in front on the line. That is what I call riding to instructions. Over to you, Harry - more of the same please. And I think trying him over a longer trip (he won over 1m5f on the Flat in France) may help, too.

14:10, Newbury
Sonofvic
We probably are only running for second place here with Grands Crus in the line-up but I wouldn't totally rule out him following in the footsteps of his brother Aiteen Thirtythree, who won this race last year, and the 7lb he gets helps a little. Clearly whatever he did over hurdles was a bonus last season, so we were thrilled with his performances, most obviously when beating Tornado Bob at Ascot. This longer trip will suit and we would definitely expect him to be a better chaser than a hurdler, and a summer breathing operation will hopefully have helped too. Should be all the sharper for a racecourse gallop last week, but who he worked with there I am sworn to secrecy until Friday evening's column! But I can tell you that this fellow went well.

14:45, Newbury
That'lldoboy
Point winner who confirmed the promise of his fencing debut at Chepstow when winning at Wincanton last time, scoring by 3½ lengths. Had blinkers on for the first time there and it remains to be seen whether they will be as effective here; in fact, an obvious further negative is that he races off an 8lb higher mark and meets some unexposed and potentially well-handicapped rivals here. But he is lightly raced and entitled to improve himself, and has a nice racing weight on 10st 5lb here.

15:20, Newbury
Empire Levant
Despite showing a decent level of form in novice hurdles last season and winning at Doncaster, he was backward last season, and his jumping let him down when we fancied him to go well at Punchestown on his final start (though he still ran a fair race in the circumstances). But he is a lovely stamp of a horse who is filling into his frame and the best is yet to come from him. Has been working and schooling well, and I think a mark of 128 is fair. And Harry taking 8lb off is another major boost to his chances. He will go well.

15:50, Newbury
Captain Kelly
Was bought for 125,000gns at the Cheltenham May Sales after winning his only start in a point to point in Ireland. By Oscar out of a fair hurdler/chaser of Martin Pipe's in Tri Folene, he is a nice sort who has been going well at home. But, as ever, we rarely bring these long-term prospects to bumpers fully tuned up and he is meeting horses with fair bumper form in the book already and some likely looking sorts from the Henderson and Curtis camps, to name but two.

13:10, Taunton
Watergate Bay
Finished fifth on his point debut in March. As a full brother to our smart recent Wetherby winner Fistral Beach, he will hopefully leave that form well behind in time. And back in trip and on better ground, he will hopefully go close here in what looks a moderate race.

14:20, Taunton
Ange Guerrier
Fairly useful over middle distances on the Flat in France but has certainly taken his time to get the hang of hurdling. But there was more promise in his third here last time, where he again pulled far too hard for his own good. If Ryan can get him to settle better today, he has a fair chance. You would also think today's longer trip would suit, if he can, given his Flat form.

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1. Kelvin | 24 November 2011

   Really impressed with Sonofvic. Had already backed him for the RSA and he looks like one to follow. Jumped well on the whole and should sharpen up for the initial outing against one the better novice chasers

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