Paul Nicholls New Year's Day Runners: Kalif Du Berlais can delight again at Cheltenham

• Read Paul Nicholls on his New Year's Day runners

• Best chance Kalif leads the charge at Cheltenham

• Beau Balko is in top order ahead of Musselburgh run

• Two run at Exeter and Afadil could go close at Southwell

• Get a completely Free Bet on horse racing multiples on New Year's Day

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Listen to Paul Nicholls on his Cheltenham NYD runners...

Paul's Ditcheat Decs 📋

A busy New Year's Day for Team Ditcheat with runners across three cards.@PFNicholls previews the action with @BetfairBarry. pic.twitter.com/vHtWwpoUmS

-- Betfair Racing (@BetfairRacing) December 31, 2024

Paul Nicholls on his Cheltenham runners...

12:20 - Kalif Du Berlais

1

Kalif Du Berlais (Fr)

• J: Harry Cobden
• T: Paul Nicholls
• F:

I was delighted with the way he jumped on his way to winning a novice handicap tidily at Newbury just over a month ago considering that he took a heavy fall at Carlisle on his debut over fences. While he is now running off a 6lbs higher mark I'd like to think he will keep progressing.

12:55 - Ken Roy

4

Ken Roy (Ire)

• J: Harry Cobden
• T: Paul Nicholls
• F:

He was a bit unlucky to be caught close home at Plumpton in mid-December after looking all over the winner jumping the last flight. He should be better suited by this more galloping track and I'm hoping first-time cheek pieces can produce a bit more improvement.

14:05 - Hitman

1

Hitman (Fr)

• J: Harry Cobden
• T: Paul Nicholls
• F:

He is difficult to place because he is handicapped to the hilt but he ran another fine race when a close second to Minella Drama in the Old Roan at Aintree late in October. He then suffered a nasty bout of colic on the way home and spent the next fortnight at our vets. So we lost the best part of a month with Hitman before he was able to start regular exercise again.

He has done plenty of work since that setback and seems in fine form now but it's possible he might just need the run under top weight in this Premier Handicap at a track where he has performed with credit in the past.

Paul Nicholls on his Musselburgh runners...

13:45 - Liari

2

Liari (Fr)

• J: Ben Bromley
• T: Paul Nicholls
• F:

A flat track is ideal for Liari who won the Scottish Triumph Hurdle impressively at this course in February last year. He has run with credit on both starts this season, shaping as though he will be well suited by this step up in trip to two-and-a-half miles. I'm expecting Liari to go close with Ben Bromley taking off a handy 5lbs.

14:20 - Beau Balko

3

Beau Balko (Fr)

• J: Ben Bromley
• T: Paul Nicholls
• F:

He's been very consistent this season and should again be competitive with conditions at Musselburgh in his favour provided this race does not come too soon after he finished second at Newbury a fortnight ago. He seems very fresh at home, in top order.

Paul Nicholls on his Exeter runners...

13:35 - Eileen's Milan

2

Eileen's Milan (Ire)

• J: Freddie Gingell
• T: Paul Nicholls
• F:

He's well bred, being related to several winners in Ireland and almost pulled off a massive shock when just touched off in a maiden hurdle at Newton Abbot in June. I thought he ran all right on his return until getting a bit tired late on at Fontwell three weeks ago as he came in a month later than most of ours after a wind op in the summer. I'm hopeful he can take a step forward now provided Exeter does not get too much rain.

15:55 - Talk To The Man

9

Talk To The Man (Ire)

• J: Freddie Gingell
• T: Paul Nicholls
• F:

He's a gorgeous type who created a big impression in winning on his debut in a Point-to-Point in April. He goes nicely at home, is ready to start and should run well.

Paul Nicholls on his Southwell runner...

14:49 - Afadil

4

Afadil (Fr)

• J: Miss Olive Nicholls
• T: Paul Nicholls
• F:

He's taken a bit of time to find his form this autumn but has been running ok and always seems to spring to life from Christmas onwards. I'm sure he is best suited by a flat track like Southwell on soft ground and has been dropped 7lbs since the start of the season. So it wouldn't surprise me to see him go close in this £75,000 handicap with my daughter Olive claiming a valuable 7lbs.

Paul's Best Chance on New Year's Day - Kalif du Berlais, 12:55 Cheltenham: "He is smart and can build on his pleasing win at Newbury."

Timeform's verdict on Paul Nicholls' best chance

Kalif Du Berlais - 12:20 Cheltenham

Kalif Du Berlais won the Grade 2 Adonis Juvenile Hurdle last season and he looks likely to make an impact at a similar level over fences this season.

He fell on his chasing debut at Carlisle but quickly put that behind him to beat Tedley (who reopposes here) by three-quarters of a length in a warm-looking novice handicap chase at Newbury. Kalif Du Berlais impressed with how sweetly he travelled and he also found plenty after the final fence to assert up the run-in, ultimately winning a shade cosily and earning Timeform's Horse In Focus Flag to mark him out as one likely to be of interest next time.

Kalif Du Berlais has to give an extra 5lb to Tedley here - largely due to a fluctuation in the weight-for-age scale - but he's an improving young chaser who can take this before progressing out of handicap company.

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