Paul Nicholls Day 1 Cheltenham Runners: Decent chance for Tahmuras in Supreme

Paul Nicholls
14 March 2023
2:00 min read

Paul Nicholls has a trio of chances on Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival

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Paul Nicholls has three runners on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival including Tahmuras in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle with the Betfair Ambassador confident of a good run from his unbeaten hurdler...

Tahmuras schooled well recently ahead of Supreme
Hopeful of a good run in Ultima despite high handicap mark
Afadil has been pleasing at home ahead of Boodles

Paul Nicholls' Ditcheat Diary - Cheltenham Special

Tolworth form has been franked and he has a decent chance

13:30 Supreme Novices' Hurdle - Tahmuras

No. 14

Tahmuras (Fr)

Trainer: Paul Nicholls
Jockey: Harry Cobden
Age: 6
Weight: 11st 7lbs
OR: -

I'm really pleased with Tahmuras who is unbeaten in three starts over hurdles and has progressed all season. Soft ground will be in his favour because he stays well and won a Point-to-Point in Ireland on his debut. He has plenty of ability, schooled nicely on Thursday morning and probably wants two and a half miles already.

Tahmuras kept on in determined style to land the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown and the form of that race has been very well advertised. The faster they go in the Supreme the better he will run. I see him in the mould of Noland and Al Ferof, two strong stayers who won this race for us. He is in top shape. Decent chance.

Still too high in handicap but I'm hopeful of a good run

14:50 Ultima Handicap Chase - Threeunderthrufive

No. 5

Threeunderthrufive (Ire)

Trainer: Paul Nicholls
Jockey: A. P. Heskin
Age: 8
Weight: 11st 9lbs
OR: 150

He was smart as a novice, winning four chases on the bounce, but has found life tougher this season and his handicap mark is probably still at least 5lbs too high.

He got no further than the first fence in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury and last time he didn't quite stay the marathon trip at Warwick where he carried top weight in testing ground and was still bang there jumping the second last.

Threeundertheufive has won at Cheltenham before and will handle the ground so I'm hopeful of a good run in a first time tongue tie.

Pleasing in his work and has an each-way chance

16:50 Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle - Afadil

No. 16

Afadil (Fr)

Trainer: Paul Nicholls
Jockey: Harry Cobden
Age: 4
Weight: 10st 7lbs
OR: 123

He's a decent prospect who twice won tidily for us over hurdles before a below par effort at Haydock which came too soon after his previous start. I had to run Afadil there to qualify him for this race.

His blood was wrong when we got him home from Haydock but it was back to 100% when we tested him a few days ago and he is pleasing in his work again. If he hadn't run at Haydock he'd be shorter in the Boodles betting and I'd say he has a lively each-way chance.