Paul Nicholls can take first step to £500,000 Grand National glory after a tough, testing season
HIS crown might be slipping . . . but Paul Nicholls has been off the canvas like a heavyweight slugger in recent weeks and he can land another knockout blow at Newbury.
The master of Ditcheat, 14-time champion trainer, saddles his Grand National (currently about 25-1) hope KANDOO KID (3.45) in the competitive BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup live on ITV Racing.
Nicholls has had a tough season, with big-money purchases Caldwell Potter and Regent’s Stroll not living up to their crazy price tags.
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However he’s never given up the fight — and has certainly had reasons to smile over the last couple of weeks.
First, Pic D’Orhy absolutely bolted up when making all under a super ride from Harry ‘Big Money’ Cobden in the Grade 1 Ascot Chase on February 15.
Then last weekend Rubaud battled on strongly under another masterful ride from Cobbers to take the Grade 2 Ladbrokes Pendil Novices Chase at Kempton.
There have been other winners too.
In fact Team Ditcheat have had five from the last 12 runners so there will be confidence behind Kandoo Kid on Saturday afternoon.
He has only raced 14 times but has form figures at Newbury of 2121. He likes the place!
It was at the Berkshire track he recorded his most significant success when claiming the Coral Gold Cup (the Hennessey, to most).
Today’s drop back in distance is not ideal, but I’m not sure it will stop him even though he has the Grand National as his major spring target.
Kandoo Kid was second in today’s race last year and it’s clear he’s come back better than ever this term.
I can’t see a whole load of young improvers up against him — quite the opposite in fact.
And we all know how much Cobden loves to take the cash in these valuable events so Nicholls could be in for another punchy payout.
The biggest danger I can see is Vincenzo for Sam Thomas.
It was good to see him back in the big time last weekend when he landed the old one-two in the Ladbrokes Trophy for longtime supporter Dai Waters with Katate Dori and Our Power.
Thomas has a tremendous strike rate in handicap chases and is a trainer not to be messed with.
Vincenzo has age on his side at seven and comes into this on the back of a victory at Sandown where he kept on strongly over shorter.
It’s just ten days until the Cheltenham Festival — not when you expect to see a possible Gold Cup runner strutting their stuff.
However that’s the case with classy GREY DAWNING (1.45) in the Listed Premier Chase.
He should have a walk in the Kelso park even if the double-entered Iroko — also entered against Kandoo Kid — lines up.
Grey Dawning was a crack novice, landing the Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and finishing third in the Manifesto at Aintree.
But this term hasn’t gone to plan.
A comeback second to Royale Pagaille in the Betfair Chase at Haydock was followed by a no-show in the King George when he was soon pulled up after a bad mistake at the first.
Skelton has Aintree in mind for Grey Dawning but I think he has been clever in leaving the horse in the Gold Cup as he could be one of the few lining up taking on hat-trick-seeking monster Galopin Des Champs.
I was lucky enough to be at Cheltenham this week for the handicap weights launch and on a beautiful sunny afternoon the track looked in tremendous condition.
As far as I can see there is currently more sun than rain predicted before ‘The Roar’ goes up for the Supreme Novices Hurdle a week on Tuesday.
Temperatures during the opening day seem to be set fair for double digits as well.
So, while weather forecasters show us every day it’s far from an exact science, there is no reason why Constitution Hill will face a mudbath in the Champion Hurdle as he bids to regain the title he lost when absent in 2024.
Nicky Henderson’s star has not achieved as much as Istabraq or some of the other great hurdlers, but I’ve no doubt he’s the best I have seen.
I think he will hack over any mare who might turn up.
Indeed they would simply have a ‘mare’.
Let’s hope Kandoo Kid doesn’t have one on Saturday! Yeeehaaa!
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