Paul Nicholls' Weekend Runners: The Timeform Preview

All didn't go to plan for Team Nicholls at Kempton last weekend and it's now down to the second of the two Clive Smith-owned behemoths to get the bandwagon back on track. Tony McCoy will again be charged with the responsibility in the saddle, this time as Master Minded heads to Ascot for the Victor Chandler Chase.

Master Minded's revival has been one of the key narratives of this National Hunt season as he's looked back to his imperious best, a class apart, something that was so memorable of his breakthrough 2007/8 campaign. Admittedly, he hasn't needed to record the same sky-high ratings in winning a Grade 2 at Ascot and the Tingle Creek at Cheltenham, but the style of both successes has been such as to suggest he could do if required. His jumping, in particular, has been spectacular with Noel Fehily in the saddle, whilst he's travelled through each race with all of his old power and menace.

Now, with Kauto Star more laboured than usual, especially in the jumping department, under McCoy last weekend, there will surely be murmurings about what effect his presence has on Master Minded. Whilst it's true that McCoy tends to be rather more pro-active than the quieter styles of Fehily and Ruby Walsh, two other things should be considered. First, we now know there were what appear to be legitimate excuses for Kauto Star's below-par showing in the King George. Second and more importantly, McCoy is the finest jump rider of this or any other generation. Let's not forget that!

Nicholls is double-handed in the Victor Chandler with Tchico Polos also declared. He's worth a crack at this level after a fine effort to finish second to Cornas from a mark of 157 at Sandown a fortnight ago. Ian Popham again takes the ride, but this time is unable to use his 5-lb claim. A place is almost certainly the best that can be hoped for, but Tchico Polos is consistent and tough and should give his running at the very least.

Whilst the Victor Chandler may be the highlight of the day for many, for the members of the Timeform Betfair Racing Club the juvenile hurdle at 13:40 will be the race that's really the one to savour as Plenty Pocket makes his hurdling debut. Clive Smith, meanwhile, will be eagerly anticipating both, as the 'lucky' owner of Master Minded also has a share in the French import. Plenty Pocket's prospects for hurdling seem good whichever way you look at them, a useful performer on the Flat for Elie Lellouche, he won twice over a mile and a half last year and has impressed Paul Nicholls since joining the team at Ditcheat. Check him out for yourself here!

In the Grade 2 Holloway's Hurdle at 14:55, Advisor and Sire Collonges represent Nicholls. The former has failed to live up to initial expectations over hurdles and required a return to the level (in the form of a jumpers' bumper) to get back to winning ways at Kempton in December. Unfortunately that sparked no revival when reverting to obstacles at Exeter on New Year's Day and he remains with plenty to prove, especially over this longer trip. Sire Collonges is surely of greater interest after winning his sole start in France for Guy Cherel last April. It's clearly very difficult to place the form of that effort into any sort of context with the task he faces here, with the likes of Walkon, Soldatino and Shalone also engaged, but what is clear is that he's got loads of potential to play with.

It was great to see Breedsbreeze back in action in the Peterborough Chase in December after he missed all of last season, and with his half-length second to Tartak he wasted no time in showing all his ability remains intact. The handicapper may just have taken a chance in allotting him a mark of 150, whilst Popham gets to claim the 5 lb this time, so there's cause for imagining he holds strong claims in the handicap chase at 15:30. The only note of caution may come from the fact he endured a harder race than ideal at Huntingdon for a horse returning from such a lengthy absence, though otherwise he looks the one to be with against a number of rivals who have something to prove.

Another of Nicholls' runners to come out top on Timeform's adjusted ratings is Poungach in the concluding novice hurdle (16:05). The winner of a bumper at Stratford last spring, he made a promising start to his hurdling career when just under ten lengths third to the very useful Frascati Park, also at Ascot, back in November. There were distinct signs of greenness in his display then and he's fully expected to come on for the run and go closer still this time. That said, there is plenty of potential amongst the field, in the form of Captain Kirkton, No Secrets and Suburban Bay especially, whilst Wise Move will be an interesting newcomer for Nicky Henderson.

The card at Haydock must pass an 8:00am inspection on Saturday morning in order to go ahead, but if it does there are a number of further potential winners for the Nicholls camp. Chapoturgeon faces only two rivals in the graduation chase due to take place at 13:30 and on the best of his form he wouldn't turn a hair in coming home in front. The former winner of the Jewson at Cheltenham, he enjoyed a frustrating time of things in 2009/10 and was again below form at Exeter on his return. There was more encouragement to take from that effort than the bare facts might suggest, however, and he certainly shaped as if in need of a return to this longer trip, so this will offer him a good opportunity in which to regain the winning thread.

Robinson Collonges looked all set to beat Wishfull Thinking when crashing out at the third last in a Grade 2 novice chase at Wincanton in November and now gets his chance to gain revenge, and given he's now 9 lb better off he surely has an excellent chance of doing just that in the 14:40. He beat two most inferior rivals hollow at Hereford next time before finding the infinitely more competitive AP Gold Cup all too much at this stage of his career on his handicap debut. However, he didn't run as poorly as ninth might suggest, looking all set to play a role with the principals for most of the way, and the experience should help with his all-round development. He's still potentially one of the best novice chasers around.

The Peter Marsh Chase (15:15) might have been shorn of some of its quality down the years, but it's still a highly competitive handicap chase year-in year-out, and this one isn't going to be any different, with Major Malarkey making no little appeal even if he is 3 lb 'wrong'. Thanks to the Nicholls-trained Take The Breeze that is, as he heads the weights from a mark of 151 having been raised 6 lb on the back of his excellent reappearance second to Massini's Maguire at Ascot. Further improvement is clearly required, then, but that's not out of the question, still lightly raced at this sort of trip after all, whilst the manner in which he travelled on his return suggests there may just be a bit more to eke out of him.

After winning a pair of bumpers for Willie Mullins, Don't Turn Bach looked destined for the top. All hasn't gone swimmingly since he made the switch to Ditcheat, however, amiss on his British debut and, having undergone a breathing operation over the summer, no better than fourth to Habbie Simpson in a novice at Warwick on his hurdling bow. His jumping wasn't as good as it might have been there, and it will be put to the test all the more so over these 'Fixed Brush' obstacles at 15:50, but it'll still be a surprise if he doesn't progress as we know he possesses the ability to do just that and more.

The inspection at Wincanton takes place half an hour later than the one at Haydock, but with temperatures set to go even lower in Wincanton it's a case of having everything crossed that it passes fit to race.

Eighteen are set to contest the opening two-mile handicap hurdle (13:40) if it does, with Nicholls having yet another top weight in the shape of Bold Addition. He surely remains with potential for further improvement after just four starts over hurdles, his fourths in handicaps at Cheltenham and Taunton this term representing sound form, and he shouldn't remain a maiden for much longer here, if failing to get off the mark here then at least having the option of novices.

There are some pretty exposed handicappers in the twenty-five furlong chase at 15:25, but that's not something that can be said of Promising Anshan. He was one of those to have made the switch from Charlie Mann prior to his chasing debut at Newbury in December, where he showed residual greenness in finishing a close second to the aforementioned Major Malarkey. His fourth there a fortnight later wasn't quite so good, but the shorter trip would have been against him and he's sure to be of strong interest this afternoon.

That'll Do had precious little to beat when sauntering home in a three-runner novice at Wincanton back in the autumn and found himself tested much more at Taunton next time. A mistake at the sixth compromised his chance significantly, travelling strongly at the head of affairs to that point, and he eventually could do no better than finish third to Nicene Creed. The feeling is that an initial handicap mark of 120 could well underplay his ability, but that could well be true of several others in what looks a deeply competitive event for the money (14:50), with Requin, Bally Legend, Red Mile, Shoegazer and Five Star Wilsham all fitting that bill. Either way, it's certainly a race to watch and re-watch with an eye to future and more valuable races.

It's very difficult to assess Symphonick (16:00) after he unseated at the eighth on his British debut at Hereford last week, though he was still going well at the time and is just the sort the yard win handicaps with. The longer trip is liable to prove well within his compass.

After such a good start in winning a bumper at Taunton, it could be argued that Ramses de Marcigny was a shade underwhelming in both subsequent events last season. Then again, it's just as likely that conditions weren't quite right for him on either occasion and there's no question he remains a bright prospect for hurdles, and he takes his first steps down that route in the finale (16:30).

Harry Bowles / 21 Jan 2011