Paul Nicholls Saturday Runners: Big day for Ditcheat with horses at Uttoxeter, Kempton and Fontwell

• Paul welcomes review of "embarrassing" Cheltenham starts

• Regent's Stroll is ready for three miles after Jack Richards run

• And his usual preview of every Saturday runner for the yard 

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Cheltenham starts were embarrassing for racing

Some of the starts this week at Cheltenham have been so shambolic that the races were won and lost at the start. It's as simple as that. So many professionals are talking about this that I hope we are listened to. John Francome did a great piece yesterday in which he said: "It's been bad for 10 years, it is an embarrassment to the sport and it should have been changed."

Rules are rules, I get that, and I'm not pointing the finger of blame at anyone in particular, but we need to take a long look at ourselves. It is embarrassing for the sport, the way some of it is run, with some of the starts held on a corner or a bend. The whole thing needs reviewing, and I am glad to read that that's what's going to happen because we need to change. It is not good.

We need to get together, talk it through and come up with ideas about what we want to change. In a championship race it is going to be hard to get everybody to walk in a straight line - that just doesn't happen - and sometimes a bit of common sense would help, like with the Jack Richards yesterday, there might have been one or two a little bit behind, but they could have let them go first time. That would have been a good start but every time this happens they go, the crowd groans, and you just know.

We need common sense, I know rules are rules, but you are talking about a lot of animals in championship races, where everyone wants to get out of their gate quickly, and sometimes you just have to let them go. But I don't know the answer. A lot of good brains will get together and come up with something. I am glad they are finally admitting that it is a shambles and they need to look into it. It is embarrassing for the sport. It is so important.

Someone said yesterday that you don't win races at the start, but you do lose them at the start. That was true for No Drama This End and a number of other horses this week. It's become the talking point of the week when what we should be talking about is great racing at Cheltenham.

Regent's Stroll is ready for three miles

Obviously we would have liked Regent's Stroll to have won the Jack Richards at Cheltenham on Thursday but he ran well, settled well and, after finishing third in the race, is looking like he wants three miles. They didn't go particularly quick, which probably didn't help him, but I liked the way he jumped, the way he travelled and stayed on very strongly up the hill.

I thought straight away that he is crying out for three miles and he will get three miles the way he is relaxing. The first thing Harry Cobden said after the race was "step up in trip" so we will probably go to Aintree now for the Grade 1.

I will look at other options, but I will probably go with the race that Caldwell Potter won last year because I think Aintree on a flat track suits Regent's Stroll quite nicely. Next year we will definitely be running him over a trip. When you think back to when he ran at Newbury and how bloody silly, stupid and free he was, compared to what he's like now, and he's improved so much. That reflects well on the team that have worked hard on him to get him like that. Jay Tidball rides him every day and gets him nice and settled. He's grown up, he's ready to go to three miles and I look forward to that.

Paul on his Saturday runners at Kempton and Uttoxeter... 

13:33 Kempton - Gold Cast

She was bitterly disappointing when she pulled up at Newbury. She hasn't shown us much for as long as we have had her and actually the form of the race she won in Auteuil isn't that strong. I'm open minded about her at the moment. I think she will improve and, if she wins on Saturday, we will carry on with her this season and try to win a race or two in the spring. If she doesn't win at Kempton, then we will give her a nice long break and come back in the autumn. She has a few questions to answer.

14:40 Kempton - Fasol

This is a bit of a consolation race for horses that didn't go to Cheltenham. Fasol loves the track and the drying ground. Last time we rode him a little too forward and you could question whether he got the trip. Olive will need to ride him with a little more restraint, but he always runs a good, solid race. He was fourth in the Lanzarote and that's good enough form to run really well in this race. We have kept him nice and fresh, so hopefully he will run well.   

14:40 Kempton - Nardaran

He ran very well against Constitution Hill, loves good ground. I took him out of last weekend because the ground was so bad and is crying out for two-and-a-half miles. He has a lot in his favour in a competitive race and has a nice chance.

15:18 Kempton - Blueking d'Oroux

We have applied the cheekpieces for the first time to sharpen up his jumping a tad. Lots of good horses have worn cheekpieces, not because they weren't up to it, but because they need to sharpen their jumping. He loves decent ground so if he jumps well he has a lovely chance.

16:28 Kempton - Emailandy

He has been bitterly disappointing, pulling up in four of his last five runs. He ran on very heavy ground the last day and, although he pulled up, didn't run to badly. Harry Cobden said he would go well in a minute. He's jumped well over fences, but he needs to leave some bad runs behind and pull his finger out because we need to see something quickly, otherwise he will be on the transfer list.

17:03 Kempton - Max D'Airy

He is a nice horse at home, although a bit free and keen, which is why he has a hood on. He ran nicely on his only outing in France but I don't know what that form is worth, but he ran ok, the jockey nearly fell off 100 yards from the line. We bought him for a nice price, and he goes nicely at home, so he will run well.

Paul on his Saturday runners at Uttoxeter... 

13:50 Uttoxeter - Below The Radar

I don't think he really got three miles the last day at Newbury. This is a much better trip for him; there has been a bit of rain so the ground has eased and that will be ideal. He has a lovely chance.

14:25 Uttoxeter - Red Risk

A good, consistent horse who won this race last year. He caught us unawares at Musselburgh where his surprised me. He has gone up five, Freddie takes that five off, but he has it all to do on this mark.

15:00 Uttoxeter - Isaac Des Obeaux

He could go well. We probably ran him a bit quick the last day in January after his win at Exeter the previous month. We have kept him nice and fresh for this race. He ran well at Uttoxeter last year and will hopefully do it again.

Paul on his Saturday runner at Fontwell... 

14:35 Fontwell - Mon Champion

He wants soft ground, that's the key and it is why I have entered him at Fontwell over two-and-a-half, thinking it would rain and be testing, which is what's happened. The ground was too quick for him the last day at Newbury. This little track will keep him interested and on his best form he has a good chance. The ground could not be too soft for him.

Paul's best chance on Saturday - Nardaran:"It's a toss-up between Nardaran and Blueking d'Oroux but I expect the former to run very well so that's who I'm going with as my best chance."  

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