Sean Trivass paid a visit to Seven Barrows to catch up on preparations…
Nicky started with a joke that Altior would go to the Champion Hurdle, but luckily changed his mind before we could tweet anything to the waiting world, but at least we knew he was in a good mood and would continue to be talkative. Fifty–five successes at Cheltenham is amazing and makes him the all-time number one and that figure seems sure to be increased this season with Arkle favourite Altior his clear number one pick. Unbeaten over fences after four starts he has already stepped up from novice class to win the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury and although a very short price, he should prove hard to beat. Nicky told us “I was very confident about Altior at this time last year. I think he has transferred his ability to chasing and not made many mistakes. “The one nice thing is that he has learnt from his two mistakes in four runs – he has done everything right. One’s only thought is, goodness, what price would he be for the Champion Hurdle if we were still going down the hurdling road? The big question at the moment is will we dare switch him to take on Douvan in the Champion Chase. No, we won’t. We want to win the Arkle, that is the objective and that is where he will stay”, so hopefully that puts all of those rumours to bed for the moment at least whatever you see on Twitter.
As for the Champion hurdle, Nicky has three serious contenders in Buveur D’Air, Brain Power, and My Tent Or Yours and although all three have serious chances on paper, the body language suggested Buveur D’Air may come out on top this season at least. Nicky told us “This Stan James Champion Hurdle is particularly open and you can see why we have brought back Buveur D’Air from chasing. It was not because he was doing anything wrong over fences but because we thought there is more to come over hurdles. This was before Faugheen was taken out of the Champion Hurdle. “Altior was always going for the Arkle so Buveur D’Air would have found it difficult to beat him in that race. It seemed an obvious thing really.” Although that sounds good he seems equally as happy with Brain Power who will be even better on a faster surface and reminded us all that My Tent Or Yours is also in good form at home as well, and there might not be much between the trio which is an enviable position for any trainer to be in.
Might Bite came in for a very positive mention ahead of a probable tilt at the RSA Chase and he is another that the trainer seems pretty keen on, feeding him carrots to stop him living up to his name and taking a chunk out of his handler. He (apparently) has a ridiculously high cruising speed which actually makes him look one paced, and he would have won easily at Kempton before crashing out at the last, but seemed to have benefitted from that error last time out at Doncaster with an effortless distance win after his nearest pursuer fell at the thirteenth fence. With Nicky suggesting he will be even better if given a lead, and Irish challenger Acapella Bourgeois nominated for that role, the race could be run to suit him and he fully deserves his place at the head of the ante post market.
With plenty of the journos (and nearly all the photographers) in attendance wandering off now the so called stars had gone, I waited to see what else I could find out, and we may well have exposed some diamonds worthy of serious consideration. Nicky (and others in the yard) seems to think an awful lot of French import Charli Parcs who will hopefully win the Adonis Hurdle at Kempton on Saturday (25th February), after which he will head to either the triumph hurdle or the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle that opens the card with the trainer keener on the first named given the choice, but that remains the owner’s decision.
Two more horses to mention and he seemed particularly keen to run Daphne Du Clos in the bumper, a race he rarely if ever targets, so possibly a hint in itself. She has won two of her three starts so the ability is there in the form book and with her age and sex allowance she may well get weight all round, and with her trainer confidently seeing her as the ideal sort for the race she is other dark horse worthy of some consideration.
To round things off, forgotten star Peace And Co gets a positive mention and if all goes to plan, he will head to Sandown for the Imperial Cup and then head to Cheltenham for the County Hurdle. A very good horse at his best, winning the Triumph Hurdle in 2015 he has only raced three times since and was pulled up behind Annie Power in the Champion Hurdle last season when tailed off. The implication was that he may be coming back to something like his true form at last, and if that is the case then he may well find handicap company much more to his liking and at a big price he is another worthy of at least some consideration at the very least.
