Watch Paul Nicholls' Ditcheat Diaries: Latest plans for a big Grand National Festival

• Caldwell Potter, Rubaud and more set for big Grand National Festival

• Paul's very happy with his Aintree team but would welcome rain

• Beau Balko will step back up in trip and may go to Ayr

• We are now NRNB on the 2025 Grand National

Watch Paul Nicholls' Ditcheat Diaries

Paul's Ditcheat Diary

Some nice runs in defeat for team Ditcheat horse across the weekend but attention is firmly on Aintree and the Grand National hopefuls for Betfair ambassador @PFNicholls pic.twitter.com/HZL13DBGEu

-- Betfair Racing (@BetfairRacing) March 24, 2025

A busy weekend for Paul Nicholls got underway on Friday at Newbury where Captain Bellamy finished second to an impressive winner in the novice hurdle and the Betfair ambassador believes his horse will make "a beautiful chaser".  

"It was a good race," said Paul. "The ground was probably quick enough for us, we would have liked more dig in the ground. Captain Bellamy has good form.

"He is going to be beautiful chaser next year. I doubt we will run him again this year as the ground will not be right."

Welcom To Cartries also impressed when finishing second on the same card and Paul said:

"He ran very well on his first run back over hurdles. He could run again this season, at Ayr perhaps, or somewhere else with more cut in the ground, over three miles."

Beau Balko was beaten by Newbury ground

On Saturday, Newbury was the focus again and Paul said he was thrilled with Talk To The Man when finishing fourth in the bumper after an 80 day break:

"He made a big step forward and looks a real galloper to me. He is going to want two-and-a-half miles over hurdles. He wants to go hurdling as soon as possible."

What did Paul make of Beau Balko after he dropped back to two miles?

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I'd say the ground beat him on Saturday. He was flat out all the way. If we had known the ground was going to be as lively as it was we would have run him over two-and-a-half. But we thought [two miles] might work because he had been keen in his runs. He has got to go up in trip."

Paul Nicholls' Aintree Grand National Festival plans update

This week is a quiet one for Team Ditcheat and everything is now geared towards the Grand National Festival (3-5 April).

How are Paul's Aintree entries getting on in their preparations?

"The five that we are going to run in the National are doing well," he said. "They will all have a school tomorrow, except for Stay Away Fay who ran at the Cheltenham Festival. 

"We could do with some rain. Lots of our horses will run at Aintree - Rubaud, Caldwell Potter, Kalif du Berlais, possibly Ginny's Destiny - so it is a big meeting for us."

The conversation has been condensed for clarity. Watch to the podcast to hear Paul's full comments and read his exclusive Betfair column from Friday to get his thoughts on this weekend's runners.

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