Paul Nicholls: Saturday runners at Ascot including best chance of the day Jakar Du Moulin

• Paul Nicholls previews his Saturday's runners

• Well handicapped Jakar Du Moulin his best chance of the day

• Matterhorn and Threeunderthrufive look to have it all to do

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Paul on the loss of Inthewaterside

We lost Inthewaterside earlier in the week, it was really sad news which the McNeill family shared.

He'd been very hard to train, albeit with a huge engine. He sustained quite a minor injury last year and got over it but it was an injury that wasn't in a great place.

He galloped at Newbury three weeks ago and went very nicely, but unfortunately by the time we got back to the stables he was very lame. He'd sustained a hind leg injury that he just couldn't recover from and the kindest thing to do was to put him to sleep.

It's sad whenever this happens but sometimes it's unavoidable. It was a very strange injury and one of the problems with it was the size of him, he was massive. He was a good horse and it was a sad day for everyone involved, but we have to move on.

Paul on his preparation for his festive runners

Ahead of the festive season the preparation has been good, the horses are in good form and so too is the stable with three winners this week including Regent's Stroll who we are really pleased with, he's come out of the race well. Isaac Des Obeaux won nicely on Thursday, he looks a nice horse for some good staying chases in the spring, so we're very happy.

I don't always go mad on Boxing Day because there's so much racing over Christmas and New Year, you want to spread it out and pick and go where you can win, so we'll only have two or three at Kempton on Boxing Day including Rubaud and Blueking d'Oroux. We'll have some at Wincanton and Knappers Hill may go to Wetherby but that will be it as we'll space them out over the following days and into the New Year.

The weather forecast doesn't look too bad though it looks like turning a bit colder just after Christmas, so yes I can't wait to get stuck in, though as always, when you go to Kempton's Christmas meeting the racing is very competitive.

Paul Nicholls' Saturday runners at Ascot preview

13:15 - Jakar Du Moulin

I think he needed his seasonal return at Exeter. Jay Tidball, who rode him that day, had quite a nasty fall on the way down to the start on him, he slipped up and I'm not sure Jay was quite 100%. He saw the doctor down at the start and he was passed fit to ride, but Jay took quite a few days to get over that so I'm not sure if he was quite at his best.

He ran very nicely, it was a lovely seasonal debut and he stays very well. The more the ground dries up - I'd love to see it good to soft by Saturday afternoon - the more that will suit him and I think he's our best chance of the day.

Ultimately chasing is his game so I don't think you'll see a lot of improvement in him until he jumps a fence. He can definitely win a hurdle race or two off his current mark of 110, but when he goes chasing he will improve.

13:50 - Matterhorn

He won nicely on his last start at Uttoxeter last season but he must be the worst handicapped horse in training off 147. For a summer horse to end up off top weight in a Ascot handicap in December is not ideal.

We've been waiting for some better ground for him and when I declared him it was good ground but now it's gone soft so we'll have to have a chat with the owners on Friday night and see if they want to run him on soft ground. It won't be ideal but it's hard to find decent ground at this time of the year and if you don't run then you don't come down in the handicap if you get beat.

So whether we have to run him a few times I don't know as he's a summer horse, he loves better ground hence why we were thinking of Ascot when it was good, but I don't think he's the best handicapped horse in training by a long way.

15:00 - Threeunderthrufive

He was dropped 2lb for his run on seasonal debut but he could have done with being dropped 12lb. He's been a wonderfully consistent horse for the McNeill family, always gives his best hence why he's always got a high mark.

I think, and Harry Cobden thinks, he's still 6lb or 8lb too high to go and win a race. He ran well in this race last year, he always runs well, but he's not getting any younger so I think he has it all to do.

Now read more Saturday racing - Alan Dudman's double, three to back from Sam Turner and Mark Milligan