Paul Nicholls Chepstow Friday Runners: Isaac Des Obeaux my best chance of the day

• Paul Nicholls sends five runners to Chepstow on Friday

• Isaac Des Obeaux my best chance of the afternoon

• Farland and Kap Boy to improve for the run

It's early days but I like to target Chepstow's first meeting which I always think signals the start of the jumps season. Some of ours over the next two days might just need the run because I haven't drilled them at home but they are ready to go. I'm mortified that Teeshan can't run in the Persian War after a tiny little setback because he was pleasing me in his work. Hopefully he will be back in two or three weeks time

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13:35 Chepstow - Farland

He has plenty of ability but can be quirky as he showed in his two starts last season when he was green as grass and proved a bit of a challenge for his jockeys.

He does, however, have a decent engine, he's done plenty of schooling and Chepstow is an ideal track for him to make his debut over hurdles. I'd say whatever he does on Friday he will improve for the run.

14:10 Chepstow - Kap Boy

He's a smashing big baby of a horse, who looks every inch a chaser down the line so we will continue to look after him with the future in mind.

He won his bumper at this meeting a year ago and just like Farland has done plenty of schooling. Kap Boy goes nicely at home and much like Farland he is fit and ready to start but will definitely improve a fair bit for the experience.

14:45 Chepstow - Regatta de Blanc

She's an interesting recruit having won all four of her Point-to-Points and two out of her three Hunter Chases ridden by Will Biddick.

We thought we would start her off in a mares' novice hurdle before she goes chasing. This is probably a shade more competitive race than she is used to but she is fit and well and should run tidy.

15:50 Chepstow - Enrilo

It's a long time since he last got his head in front and I'm determined to get him back in the winner's enclosure this season. In fairness he ran some cracking races in defeat last winter including when second in the Edinburgh National and again when third at Taunton.

Hopefully it will help that he is now able to run in veterans races. We are giving our new conditional jockey Jay Tidball his first ride for us on Enrilo, who has dropped to a nice enough handicap mark and is in the right company though he is a thorough stayer these days. It's encouraging that ten of Jay's twenty winner so far have come over fences.

16:25 Chepstow - Isaac Des Obeaux

He's a lovely stamp of a horse who was always going to be a chaser and I can't wait to see what he achieves over fences. It's a bonus that all three of his wins so far have come at Chepstow, a track that places an emphasis on stamina.

I've done a lot with him so he's well ready and his schooling has been good so I'm hopeful of a very nice run on ground that should suit him. He is my best chance of the day

Timeform Verdict

Kap Boy - 14:10 Chepstow

As you'd expect on the unofficial first day of the new jumps season, at a meeting that Paul Nicholls often targets with his most promising novice hurdlers, the Ditcheat handler has a strong team at Chepstow.

Kap Boy made a winning debut in a bumper at this meeting last year, a race won by classy stablemates McFabulous and Knappers Hill previously, and having matched that form when 7 lengths third to Roysse at Newbury three months later, this athletic sort is fancied to make his mark on his return/hurdling debut.

Clearly testing ground is no issue for this Kapgarde gelding, but his dam produced her best run on slightly quicker going and he's fancied to score at the expense of Le Fauve, who has already finished runner-up twice in this sphere and sets a decent standard to aim at on reappearance.

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