Paul Nicholls Saturday Kempton Runners: Pic D'Orhy my best chance of the weekend

• Paul Nicholls saddles three runners at Kempton on Saturday

• Sauvignon looks interesting on stable debut

• Pic D'Orhy my best chance of the day

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Kempton

12:25 Kempton - Sauvignon

He's an interesting recruit from France where he won on his debut over hurdles in April, then finished second at Auteuil before showing improvement to land an £80,000 Listed event at the same track in June.

We bought him shortly afterwards and have given him lots of time to acclimatise with three months out in a field, so he was never going to be ready until now.

Sauvignon is a half-brother to Sauverne who landed the Group 1 Prix Moulin at Longchamp in 2023. He is very laid back and enjoyed an away day at Newbury in November.

He has done plenty and this race looks an ideal prep for him ahead of the Adonis Hurdle at this track next month. Whatever he does on Saturday he will improve for the run.

14:42 Kempton - Pic D'Orhy

He is so tough and genuine, one of our stars at the moment and looked as good as ever in winning a Grade 2 Chase at Ascot late in November.

Pic D'Orhy won this race two years ago and ran arguably the best race of his life when he pushed Banbridge to the limit in the same event twelve months ago.

That day he was giving weight to Banbridge who well and truly franked the form by winning the King George VI Chase a couple of weeks ago. With course and trip in his favour Pic D'Orhy is my best chance of a winner on Saturday.

14:42 Kempton - Hitman

He is difficult to place because he is handicapped to the hilt on a mark of 156 but he ran another fine race when a close second to Minella Drama in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree.

He had a nasty bout of colic on the way home, spent the best part of two weeks at our vets and took a while to get over it. He is fine now and the plan was to run him at Cheltenham on New Year's Day until the testing ground went against him.

I hope he can run well and finish second to Pic D'Orhy.

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