After a summer jumping season dominated by Irish raiders, the South West is poised to reclaim superiority over the sticks in the coming months.
As has now become the norm, the big battalions from Paul Nicholls’ Ditcheat yard will be leading the way, but there will plenty of West Country winners from David Pipe and Philip Hobbs as well this winter.
For the moment, Nicholls appears to have cornered the market in star chasers and once again the big three of Kauto Star, Denman and Master Minded will be spearheading the trainer’s assault on the sport’s major prizes.
“All three are in good form after the summer and will have campaigns plotted around their major Cheltenham targets in the spring” said Nicholls.
And he added: “There will be one big change in that I think Master Minded thrives on racing and so he will be more vigorously campaigned this year.
“There is a two mile chase at Cheltenham’s Paddy Power meeting where he will probably start before going for another tilt at the Tingle Creek at Sandown and then he will run a couple of times before the Queen Mother Champion Chase. He will stick to two miles though as while he is dominating the division there is no point stepping him up in trip”.
“Kauto Star is likely to start off at either Down Royal or in the Betfair Chase at Haydock as a prelude to a return to Kempton to try and win the King George for a fourth years in a row”.
A win for Kauto Star at Kempton on Boxing Day would equal Desert Orchid’s record of four King George victories, though even the mighty grey was unable to notch four in a row. It would also give Nicholls a sixth winner in the group one, breaking the record he holds jointly with Fulke Walwyn and Francois Doumen.
“After the King George, Kauto Star’s programme will be centred on trying to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup for a third time. He may be a year older, but he seems as well as ever and looks good. I am very happy with him” Nicholls continued.
Although the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Denman will be aiming to take on his stable companion again in the big race of the Festival in March, his route there is likely to be very different.
After a season seriously disrupted last winter when Denman was found to have a fibrillating heart, Nicholls is delighted to have the horse back in top order for this campaign.
“I am very happy with him too and we shall be looking at the Hennessy Gold Cup, a race he won in 2007, as the likely starting point. There is just a chance that if Kauto Star goes to Down Royal, he could run in the Betfair instead, but the Hennessy is the more likely.
“Over Christmas he will go to Leopardstown and then probably have one more run somewhere before the Gold Cup. He finished second last March, which thrilled us immensely after all his problems.
“Although there has been talk of running him in the Grand National in the past, one thing I can say is that he won’t even be entered this time” said Nicholls.
Somewhere along the line, Kauto Star and Denman are likely to come face-to-face with Madison Du Berlais, who sprang a major surprise when winning the Hennessy for David Pipe last season before proving it was no fluke with stunning victories at Kempton and Aintree.
Pipe is looking at lots of possibilities for the horse, saying: “He is only eight and still improving, so we shall think about Down Royal, the Betfair Chase at Haydock and the Hennessy Gold Cup again as early targets.
“There is also a race at Auteuil which would suit him, but we shall be looking to set him up for a spring campaign with either the Gold Cup or possibly the Grand National on the agenda”.
Pipe is also on a collision course with Master Minded as his star two mile chaser Well Chief is back in top form after his long absence through injury which only came to an end in time for him to finish second in the Champion Chase after two years on the sidelines.
“He seems very well and we are hoping for a full season with him this time. The Tingle Creek will probably be the starting point with the Champion Chase his main target. He is 10 now, but because of the injuries, does not have many miles on the clock”.
For Philip Hobbs, the winners have been ticking along nicely, though his yard is in transition following the glory years of horses like Rooster Booster and Monkerhostin.
Snap Tie is a horse Hobbs has a high regard for, though this will be a building season for him.
“He goes novice chasing this winter and we have high hopes for him. He started off at Cheltenham’s opening meeting and I have yet to decide what happens next.
“Fair Along remains one of our top horses. He ran in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket on the Flat and will go back over hurdles in the three mile race at Wetherby’s Charlie Hall meeting” he said.
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