Paul Nicholls: Big chance for Pic D'orhy to beat Jonbon in Betfair Ascot Chase

• Paul has some excellent chance at Ascot, Haydock and Wincanton

• Pic D'orhy bids to win his third Betfair Ascot Chase in a row

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Our horses could not be in any better form

We've had back-to-back big Saturday handicap winners with Henri The Second and Tutti Quanti and we had a treble at Taunton on Thursday, so the horses are in really good shape, looking good and running well which we are thrilled about.

We won the £100k race at Sandown and last week the £155k race at Newbury so we've won plenty of money, and I'd like to think we've got a chance of winning another nice handicap on Saturday, so yes, the horses are in fine form which is brilliant.

Champion Hurdle tilt on the cards for Tutti Quanti if the ground is right

Regarding Tutti Quanti we're going to really consider the Champion Hurdle if it keeps on raining and the ground is on the slow side. He's now rated 151 so he's in range of some of the horses in the race and obviously handicaps aren't going to be easy for him having gone up 13lb.

The way he won last Saturday suggests he's rapidly improving and when they're improving you never know where their ceiling might be. We don't have to supplement him until five or six days before the race, so if the ground's right and he's right then we'll be having a go.

I Am Maximus would be my pick for the 2026 Grand National

We had five runners in the Grand National last year, but we don't have a runner this year, there was nothing suitable, that's just how it goes from time to time. You need the right horse to go in it, you can't kid yourself and we just didn't have anything this year, but we're sure to have some more in the future.

The trial at Haydock on Saturday is an interesting race, as is the one in Ireland on Sunday, and Haydock will be fairly safe as they've had a lot of rain and despite a cold night forecast on Friday it's due to get up to seven degrees with some sun on Saturday so hopefully they'll be okay.

I haven't really studied the Grand National yet to be honest, but I thought I Am Maximus has ran very well this season in his prep races and I wouldn't be surprised if he's right in the mix again. The weights for the race will be announced next week but we know I Am Maximus has run in the Grand National twice and run very well both times, winning it in 2024, so he's the horse I quite like for it at this stage.

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Paul Nicholls Ascot Runners on Saturday

14:25 - Captain Teague

He's fine after being pulled up at Windsor, he'd been off the track a long time prior to pulling up at Windsor and it was probably a mistake running him over three miles in very testing ground. He travelled and jumped beautifully but as soon as he got a little bit-tired approaching three out Harry Skelton wisely pulled him up.

He looked like he had plenty of pace that day so two and a half miles will suit him really well, he hasn't won further than that over hurdles and a lot of his family were two milers so I think coming back in trip is the right thing to do.

He's had the run now, he's tightened up, so on slow ground at Ascot I'd like to think he'll run very well.

15:00 - Threeunderthrufive

He won this race in 2024 and only got touched off in it last year and he's now 6lbs lower, so I won't be surprised if he runs really well as he loves Ascot. He just doesn't want it too soft but as Harry said to me Ascot never really gets too deep, too soft, and the forecast doesn't look too bad so it wouldn't be surprising to me if he runs very well.

15:35 - Pic D'orhy

He's going for the hat-trick in the Betfair Ascot Chase but he's up against Jonbon this time. He loves it around Ascot, he won well last year and he looks fresh. They're two amazing old horses, 10yo Jonbon, 11yo Pic D'orhy, they've both kept their form and their enthusiasm.

Pic D'orhy ran very well in the Charlie Hall, it was probably one of his best ever runs. His next run came too soon but we didn't have too many options, but he's nice and fresh now, we've kept him for this race and trained him for it, so hopefully he's got a great chance.

Jonbon did have a hard race a month ago over two miles, this is probably as far as he's gone on this ground so it's a very interesting contest between two good horses. I'd like to think we'll come out on top but beating Jonbon won't be easy.

Jonbon has been an amazing horse for Nicky Henderson, to win 11 Grade 1s is special, he's been very talented from the start. He's not getting any younger obviously, but he's been a grand horse.

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Paul Nicholls Haydock Runners on Saturday

12:55 - Pourquoi Pas Papa

He's good and improving, and won very well the last day at Wincanton, doesn't mind the cut in the ground and he's fit and well. I think he's got a nice chance. There are some nice juveniles in this but my horse is fit and well.

14:05 - Henri The Second

It's only two weeks from putting up a fantastic performance at Sandown and you do worry if that's soon enough, but he didn't appear to have too hard a race though it's bound to take a certain amount out of him to put in a performance like that.

He's not done a lot since, he's not needed to, and he looks fresh and well. Haydock has had plenty of rain now so three miles half a furlong will be a proper test of stamina, I think he's a big price at around 8/1.

Kabral Du Mathan as some will know I bought and trained previously and to me, he was a speed horse. He only just got beat in a Scottish Champion Hurdle and he was obviously effective over 2m4f last time, so whether three miles in the mud is what he wants I'm not so sure. Interesting race this is.

15:50 - Stay Away Fay

He was back to some sort of form over course and distance last time and it was nice to see him run well as he hadn't run well for a long time.

But being put up 4lbs for that run is extremely harsh, give horses a chance, he's an older horse, he's been a bit disappointing, so I wasn't best impressed with the handicapper for that, going up 4lbs. It's a ludicrous situation but there we are, I don't get any say in that.

He's got 12 stone and Olive Nicholls has got the all clear to ride on Saturday and she will be able to take 5lbs off him. She got a tune out of him the last day which was the first time we'd put blinkers on him, and he needs to be in the first four here to qualify for Cheltenham.

16:30 - Shearer

Gina Andrews is down to ride and I think we'll stick with that plan. If Olive passes her test I'll have a chat with her, and if she's keen then she could ride in this race also, but I think she should probably just stick to riding one on Saturday (Stay Away Fay).

Gina rode Golden Son to victory at Taunton for us on Thursday, she got on great with him, the race cut up a bit but he couldn't do any more than what he did and he's now qualified for the Hunter Chase at Cheltenham.

We just need a run to tune Shearer up, last year we were rushing to qualify for the Hunter Chase at Cheltenham but we haven't had to do that this year as he's already qualified. I'm hoping to get a nice run under his belt, put him ready for Cheltenham, that would be absolutely ideal.

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Paul Nicholls Wincanton Runners on Saturday

13:35 - Rubaud

He loves Wincanton but I'm not entirely sure he's in love with really testing ground. But you can say that about the one we've got to beat, Alexei, most of his form has been on better ground. He did win the Greatwood on slower ground at Cheltenham but that was off a mark of 134.

I'm not convinced that either of them wants it too testing so it will be an interesting tactical race. Rubaud is fresh and well, I think he's got a lovely chance.

He's been a great horse for the yard, he won the Pendil Novice Chase last season, he's won all those hurdle races, and he's done very well this season. He ran very well in the Christmas Hurdle, that was a good run, so if he reproduces that he'll be hard to beat.

16:00 - Take Your Time

He's been pulled up on his last three runs, but he actually ran very well that last day at Wincanton, he'd been off for a long time and has had loads and loads of problems, so that run would have done him the world of good.

He's slightly down in class, he travelled well into the third last the other day and then just got a bit tired so Harry wisely pulled him up and said he'll go close next time, so I'm hoping he'll leave that string of pulled-ups behind him as that's just circumstances more than anything, and I think he'll run very well.

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