FOUR TIMER NICHOLLS AT FONTWELL SHOWS HE IS IN A GAME SPIRIT AHEAD OF CHELTENHAM

Seven races lay ahead for Fontwell Parks £80,000 53rd National Spirit Hurdle race meeting. For once a dry day at the Sussex course all be it a cold one as the chat around the paddock was about the Beast from the East soon to be upon us gave a small sample of the icy blast from its run of terror.

The first race was a two runner Josh Gifford memorial novices chase over the two mile one furlong.

 Paul Nicholls legged up Sam twiston-Davies on the six year old Copain De Classe owned by a group of owners Kyle,Stewart,Vogt & Wylie, the Kyle surname belonging to the TV celebrity Jeramey Kyle.
The other runner from the yard of Harry Fry,  Space Oddity Noel Fehily in the saddle.

The Nicholls horse off at 6/4 favourite soon had the race well in control from the second fence, Fehily being unceremoniously dropped by the seven year old leaving Twiston-Davies as he mentions to hold his breath for the next two miles.

 Noel Fehily

' From racing to suddenly being thrown into a type of schooling situation all you are thinking about is getting the horse to jump the fence how you want it to be jumped, to be fair the horse has done that well for me.'
 The ground reporting to be riding dead by the jockeys seemed to be to the liking for the horse now on four wins from eight starts, winning  at Wincaton on the same surface as Fontwell good to soft, whereas at Ascot on good ground last November he was a  three length runner up to the Gary Moore trained Benatar.

'On better ground he would be a good spring horse for us to work'

'We need some more of these type of quality novice chases really, there are not many about,' Mentioned the trainer. 'He has run a little green to be fair, which can be forgiven since he has not run for a while since Ascot, on better ground he would be a good spring horse for us to work with, but a funny thing really he has always been a better horse in the autumn which I can't really explain.'
The Ditcheat trainer with four winners the day before at two different tracks mentioned his horses all looked well at the moment and reflected in the way they were performing, which must be a blessing with the top trainer now revving himself up to the Cheltenham festival in a few weeks time. We may not see this one at Prestbury in March, but one to watch i feel in a decent Novices event over the next few months.

 Copain De Classe

The second race an eight runner handicap chase for five year olds and up over 2m5f saw another win for the on fire Nicholls team.
The last but one ridden again by Sam Twiston-Davies ran on well from making progression through the field to take the race by three lengths from the Seamus Mullins trained Cap Horner.

The last but one 

The six year old now with two wins from nine starts, the last win being at Musselburgh in soft ground at the beginning of the month was mentioned by the trainer as looking a completely different type of horse than in the autumn.

'I just do not know why he has changed so much maybe he needed time or for us just to get used to him but not too sure why he has changed, but it's good for the team to be fair, in the Autumn i would have said we wouldn't have been here today in this situation.'
Owned by the Jockey Club partnership with a membership of 175 with room for 250 members this horse may if a continued improvement give something for them to cheer about, the group already on a 20% winners to runner ratio.

'I just do not know why he has changed so much maybe he needed time or for us just to get used to him.'

The third race of the afternoon, and the feature of the day The National Spirit grade 2 hurdle over 2m3f saw eight runners to post.

The favourite at 5/2 was Grade 2 hurdle specialist and Novembers Ascot Coral Hurdle winner Lil Rockerfeller from the Neil King yard.

Lil Rockerfeller

But with the Nicholls team on a weekend charge and the favourite giving 2 lbs to the winner Harry Cobden on board the 11/4 shot Old guard progressed two out to beat  the Trevor Whelan ridden horse by a length and a half.
A nine length fourth last time out at Cheltenham in the Relkeel hurdle In November Cobden mentioned,' he didn't mind the ground today despite being a bit dead out there, he is not the biggest but he has heart when he is up with the pace he can get a little too keen, when he gets up to the front he finds it easy so i didn't really want to get to the front too soon.'

'We have had this race in mind for him for a while now, Harry has given him a peach of a ride'

Owned by The Brooks, Stewart families and Mr Jeremy Kyle having a great afternoon racing mentioned,' Not too sure what to do now, Aintree or the World hurdle at Cheltenham, everything suited him today which was great, and it has to be said the trainer places these horses in races where he knows they have a chance. The crew at the Jeremy Kyle show were onto my two today as a double so they will all be very happy with the results.'

Old guard

The trainer mentioned, ' it is known i like to run mine on decent ground, we have had this race in mind for him for a while now, Harry has given him a peach of a ride, the only reason for Harry on him not Sam is Sam wants to ride the New One in the World Hurdle and Harry gets on with him.'
With the amount of good horses and jockeys in the yard the master of Ditcheat certainly has his work cut out as the top races start to come in thick and fast over the next few months.

Not too sure what to do know, Aintree or the World hurdle at Cheltenham

So three in the bag for Paul Nicholls, with no runner in the next the 2m3f novices hurdle for five year old and up, twelve went to post the Neil Mulholland trained Niblawi off at 15/2 fav could only get a three and a quarter length second to the Oliver Sherwood trained Jersey Bean ridden by Leighton Aspell.
A length behind at the last the five year old with two wins from six starts challenged well up the run in to give the win.

The trainer mentioned, ' he deserves a bit of luck to be fair he unseated Leighton on Boxing day here then a sixth at Ludlow before today, he jumps so well at home but in a race can make just one big blunder.
I liked the way he stayed on here today, slightly better ground you may see even a better horse.'
Half sister to handy hurdler Mischievous Millie also trained by Sherwood and owned by Tony Taylor who is Chairman of Jersey racecourse the trainer mentioned that the heights would not be aimed for the five year old.'He will go possibly on top of the ground and hopefully win another novice hurdle, and if his jumping comes together in time a further distance may just help.'

Oliver Sherwood trained Jersey Bean ridden by Leighton Aspell. 

You cannot keep a good man down they say, and that goes without saying a 3m2f Open hunters chase and six go to post. Paul Nichols back again with the David Maxwell ridden and owned Unioiste going to post the 4/11 favourite looked all in the bag to get the trainer off to a four timer and his eighth winner for the weekend.
And so it was to be a twenty two length victory for the trainer as the odds on fav took the win.

Unioiste

The ten year old with ten wins from thirty six runs looked the all out winner making most of the running in company with the rest of the field. superiority took over three out as Maxwell pulled clear from second placed Real Milan, next stop Cheltenham for the Foxhunters on Gold cup day.

'This horse has such a good jump in him and his next call has to be the foxhunters at Cheltenham for sure, not too sure about Aintree with this one as i have a few other thoughts about this one but it's all fun for me i have had to lay low a bit with my pointers this year through family commitments but can still have the buzz from racing with the hunter chasers, this one may just be a handy outside each way bet for Cheltenham.
Asked if he had a choice what would he like to ride in the Cheltenham main event for amateur riders he said. ' I know he has been disappointing last time out but Pacha Du Polder has been placed in the last three foxhunters and there is no reason why he could not be there abouts again and is such a great school master and a great ride for young Harriet Tucker, in fact I lobbied Paul to get the ride but he said he was set and I ride Unioniste.'

Superiority took over three out as Maxwell pulled clear from second placed Real Milan, next stop Cheltenham for the Foxhunters on Gold cup day

The last race over obstacles for the afternoon was the fourteen runner handicap hurdle over 2m5f. 3/1 favourite from the local Chris Gordon yard hit the highway always seemed to be struggling in the dead ground and showed no part in the finish, this taken by the 4/1 shot from the Colin Tizzard yard Quiz Master to come home four and a half lengths clear from the Sheena West trained Ding Ding.

'We haven't won a hurdle with him until today to be fair, early on he did have wind problems but he looks a chaser really'

Ridden by the jockey on a fine afternoons work Harry Cobden who said ' he has done that quite nice really and it's good to ride for owners like Brocade racing and trainer Colin Tizzard.' Asked if he would like to don the same colours in the Gold cup on Native river he said,' well it's not my ride but yes that would be great.'

Quiz Master

 The six year olds first win in eleven starts the trainer mentioned,'We haven't won a hurdle with him until today to be fair, early on he did have wind problems but he looks a chaser really and has chasing lines in his blood so that's where we would be aiming, but we would try to win few more hurdle with him now and think chasing next season.'
Asked about the second anti post favourite for the main event at Cheltenham the trainer said,' all is going well with Native River, he did some sharp work the other day and looked in good form, we don't really need to do more with him other than keep doing the usual work and keep calm. It's been a good preparation really and the form speaks for itself, the ground should be good to soft and that should be fine for him.
Cue Card, Colin mentioned it was lovely at Ascot to see him clapped on and off the track and the owner and trainer chatted about him the other day and felt the Ryanair chase would be the better option for him rather than the Gold cup though never winning over the distance of 3m2f

 'He has done that quite nice really and it;s good to ride for owners like Brocade racing and trainer Colin Tizzard.'

The final race of the day was the 2m1f maiden open bumper, five runners to post with joint favourites at 13/8 coming home first and second with The flying Sofa from the combination of trainer Gary Moore and Jamie Moore popular at the Sussex track taking the race two and a half lengths from Oliver Sherwood looking for a double for the afternoon with jockey Leighton Aspell on Shaugnessy.

With three runs under the five tear olds belt, twice in third spot and now a win this one certainly looks the improving sort.
'The progression may show this one may be half decent,' mentioned the jockey.' the owners (The galloping on the south down partnership) have a few with us and like all the owners we have it's important to keep them happy, but this horse is still learning jumps well enough so hopefully be okay for the future.'
I'm sure it's not the last time we see The flying sofa fitting into Fontwell in the future and one to possibly note.

The flying Sofa 

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