Paul Nicholls hoping application of blinkers help in the Grade One feature on Merseyside as Bravemansgame takes on Dan Skelton's favourite Grey Dawning as final field of nine declared
Paul Nicholls is hoping the application of blinkers can bring Bravemansgame back to top form in Saturday's Betfair Chase at Haydock Park. The nine-year-old was among the final nine entries for the Grade One feature of this weekend's seven-race card at the Merseyside track, headed by Dan Skelton's Grey Dawning, who is a best-priced 9-4 favourite with Ladbrokes, bet365 and BetVictor.
The 14-time champion jumps trainer has won the race a record six times, four times with the great Kauto Star, while the last from his stable to triumph was Silviniaco Conti, who scored twice in 2012 and 2014. Nicholls, speaking on a Zoom call arranged by The Jockey Club, admits his latest challenger is "not in the same league" as Kauto Star, but believes he has the ability to go well if the blinkers have the desired effect.
"He's had some hard races ever since he was second in the Gold Cup and that was one hell of a hard race. Once you've had a few hard races and he's been at the top table for a long time, life doesn't get any easier. His record speaks for itself and he's won all those good races, but you could say he's just a little bit below the top grade."
Ahoy Senor was third to Donald McCain's Minella Drama – who was the only horse taken out at the final declarations stage for the Betfair Chase – on his seasonal return in the Virgin Bet Old Roan Chase at the end of last month. Ahoy Senor had been second in the Grade One Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival before winning the Grade One Betway Mildmay Novices' Chase at the Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree the following month.
The current going at Haydock Park is currently good, good to soft in places, but clerk of the course Dan Cooper is expecting conditions to be softer before racing starts on Saturday. He said: "We've had snow here since Monday after a relatively dry autumn. The only real rain this November came last weekend, so that's why at the moment the going description is relatively sound as good, good to soft in places. The snow came at the start of the week and it's still here now.
Horse Racing Haydock Cheltenham Festival Grand National Aintree Racecourse
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