Paul Nicholls: Saturday chances at Ascot, Haydock and Taunton

• Paul Nicholls previews his runners at Ascot, Haydock and Taunton

• Rain means Paul is monitoring Ascot ground for Saturday

• Below The Radar is "not without a chance" at Haydock

• Four runners at Taunton where Doctor On Call has nice chance

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Ascot runners

13:00 - Outlaw Peter

He was a non-runner at Kempton last weekend where the ground was too quick for him. He is 10 now, he's had a few issues and things have never worked out for him, but he's got 12 stone and it's going to to be tough to win off that. He is eligible to run in veteran's races so I dare say a month down the line he will be running in one of those. I think he has it all to do. 

13:00 - Welcome to Cartries

He must have a lovely chance, the stiff track should suit, but he wouldn't want the ground to be too testing. I need to monitor how wet it is going to get at Ascot, so we will see, but he should have a lovely chance as he is a nice horse who's going the right way. 

14:20 - Hitman

He ran very well in this race last year off a pound higher mark, but the ground was very different that day, and he is another who would not want it too soft on Saturday, so we will have to monitor that and I dare say that after this he will end up running in the Denman Chase at Newbury on 7 February where he has been second for the last couple of years. He is tough to place. 

Haydock runners

14:35 - Stay Away Fay

I'm at a loss to understand why he has performed disappointingly. We've done every test, we've done a wind-op and the only thing I've reached for is some blinkers. Olive worked him with blinkers on Thursday morning and he went quite nicely but he has got to perform on the track which he hasn't been doing. Let's hope he can turn a corner but we have been hoping he would do that for 12 months. I'm just hoping for a nice, tidy run.

15:10 - Below The Radar

He is fine after his fall at Taunton in December. I'm just giving him a hurdle run to sharpen him up a bit because his confidence is back now, and I expect he will go chasing in the spring. He's handicapped to win, it's a very competitive race, 17 runners, and he is not without chance. 

Taunton runners

12:55 - Joyau Allen

He's been a little bit disappointing. The first time he ran, at Newbury, he pulled up and bled, the next time he ran a little better, but we are just at a little bit of a loss with him. We have tried some things differently with him at home and are just hoping that, on a flat track at Taunton, he will improve. 

12:55 - Doctor On Call

He's had a handy 5lb taken off him by Jay Tidball riding him. The more rain the better for him, if it gets soft at Taunton with rain on Thursday, that will help him. He stays the trip really well and has a nice chance. It looks like Olly Murphy's Harbour Island is the one to beat in this race.

13:32 - Beauty In The Park

She was fifth on her hurdles debut and will come on for that run. She just needs to sharpen up because she looked like she travelled quite well for a long time but you will see her to better effect further down the line.

14:05 - It's A Breeze

He's well-related but that's as far as it goes because he hasn't shown us anything yet. He is probably well-handicapped off 99 but the way he is running he should be rated around 80, not where he is at the moment. Disappointing horse, so we are stepping him up in trip and hoping he might start to show more.

Now read Paul on this week's big news - a new job for Harry Cobden.