Paul Nicholls Stable Tour

Form profile

Impressive 23 length victor from Eurowork in a novice hurdle at Wincanton (2m 5 1/2f) in February.

Trainer says

He won his novices’ hurdle at Wincanton in the spring and he beat nothing but absolutely hacked up. He will probably run in a nice handicap hurdle or a novice hurdle before we go chasing with him. He isn’t the easiest to train but he is a high-class horse.

Form profile

Winner of an Irish point-to-point in March 2019 and promise in two bumpers at Ascot (one listed) in November and December.

Trainer says

He ran in a couple of bumpers last year and ran ok. I think he is a smart horse and he jumps really nicely. He might start at Chepstow on Friday and whatever he does there he will improve for it and he wants two and a half miles. He is ultimately going to be a really smart chaser one day.

Form profile

171 rated chaser. Won the King George VI Chase at Kempton (3m) on Boxing Day for a second year running when slamming stablemate Cyrname 21 lengths.

Trainer says

He is going to start in the Betfair Chase a Haydock, but the ultimate aiming is obviously the King George VI Chase at Kempton. He will be trying to win it for the third time, and he is still only eight-years-old. He seems very, very well and looks great and we will have him in great shape for the Betfair Chase. He could end up at Punchestown in the spring this season as a right-handed track suits him well.

Form profile

176 rated chaser. Had a career highlight when inflicting a first defeat over fences for Altior in the Grade 2 Christy 1965 Chase at Ascot (2m 5f) in November when scoring by two and a quarter lengths but proved no match for stablemate Clan Des Obeaux in the King George VI Chase at Kempton (3m) on Boxing Day.

Trainer says

He was definitely only at his best once last year at Ascot and he seems in very good form this year. All being well he will start in the Grade 1 JN Wine Chase at Down Royal on October 31. That gives us a month extra before the King George and Down Royal will tell us if he stays three miles and we can make a plan from there.

Form profile

139 rated hurdler. Odds-on when finishing sixth, beaten 21 lengths, to Big Bresil on his only start last season in a novice hurdle at Exeter (2m 2 1/2f) in February.

Trainer says

He is a horse who has not quite reached his full potential, but I think that chasing will bring the best in him. We will probably run in a maiden hurdle first but at some stage he will go chasing.

Form profile

156 rated chaser and 151 rated hurdler. Made a winning reappearance when beating Clondaw Castle half a length in a listed handicap chase at Ascot (2m 1f) in November and ended his season with a highly creditable effort over hurdles when runner-up, beaten half a length, to Song For Someone in the Grade 2 Kingwell Hurdle at Kempton (2m) in February.

Trainer says

He has been a great horse for us over the years and there is a listed two-mile hurdle coming up shortly at Kempton. He always runs high-class races and I would imagine he will mix it between hurdling and chasing but is a horse to follow.

Form profile

159 rated chaser. Best effort last season when trained by Willie Mullins was when finishing runner-up, beaten a length and a half, to Bun Doran in the Grade 2 Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton (2m) in December.

Trainer says

He was an Arkle winner for Willie Mullins and he finished second in Desert Orchid Chase last year. He has had a breathing operation and he will probably go to the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham in November. He is a good solid horse if we can get him anywhere near his best.

Form profile

140 rated hurdler, winner twice in novice hurdles last season and landed a Grade 2 event at Sandown (2m 4f) in December by three quarters of a length from House Island.

Trainer says

He might run at Chepstow on Friday. He won the Winter Novices' Hurdle at Sandown in December and is a real good staying horse. My belief is that he will be a stone better horse over fences as he is such a good jumper and he is lightly raced. I would like to think there are plenty of big days in him.

Form profile

138 rated hurdler. Won novices’ hurdles at Wincanton (1m 7 1/2f) in February and Kempton (2m) in March.

Trainer says

He won two novices’ hurdles last season and will start at Kempton in a listed novices’ hurdle in a couple of weeks’ time. We didn’t see the best of him last season and I think he will be a really smart novice chaser when that happens. He is a tough hardy animal and his performance at Kempton will tell us whether we stay over hurdles this season or go novice chasing with him.

Form profile

164 rated chaser. Gained his only success of last season when beating Keeper Hill a length and a quarter in the Grade 2 Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton (2m 4 1/2f) in January.

Trainer says

He won the Silvinianco Conte at Kempton last year and wasn’t quite good enough at Cheltenham in a very competitive Ryanair Chase. He will probably start in the Charlie Hall and he seems in good nick this year. An easy three miles around Wetherby might suit him well and he schooled well last week.

Form profile

Unraced.

Trainer says

He was bought as a store at the Goffs Land Rover Sale in Ireland last summer and is a half-brother to Black Corton. He goes nicely and I would like to think he can win a couple of bumpers this season before going novice hurdling next season.

Form profile

Runner-up in a juvenile hurdle at Auteuil in March.

Trainer says

He runs at Chepstow on Saturday and he finished second for Guillame Macaire in a hurdle at Auteuil in March. He does everything right is a very straightforward jumping horse who should do well this season.

Form profile

141 rated chaser. Missed last season and last win was in novices’ hurdle at Wincanton (2m 5 1/2f) in January 2019.

Trainer says

He is lightly-raced, and things didn’t go quite right for him last year and he didn’t get to the track. I believe there is a big race in him and where that will be, I don’t know but he is one to keep the right side of. He is a good solid staying horse and he would be well up to winning a big Saturday handicap chase.

Form profile

Unraced

Trainer says

He was entered on Saturday and could run at Chepstow. He is a Valiran gelding and a lovely four-year-old who could go really nicely.

Form profile

157 rated hurdler. Landed the Grade 2 Trull House Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham (2m 1f) in March 2018 by 18 lengths from Cap Soleil when trained by Willie Mullins and below par last season when ending the season when finishing third, beaten three and a quarter lengths, to stablemate Elfile in a Grade 3 Mares’ Hurdle at Punchestown (2m 4f) in February.

Trainer says

She had problems bleeding last season with Willie and it a matter of getting her anywhere near her best. She has fitted into the yard very well and seems fine at the moment. She schooled last week, and she could start in the Grade 2 Ascot Hurdle at Ascot on November 21.

Form profile

148 rated chaser. Was coming back from a break of over a year when making all to beat Who Dares Wins half a length in a beginners’ chase at Kempton (2m 2f) in November and fell in both his subsequent starts.

Trainer says

He has a bit of a problem standing up at times but when he does, he’s very good horse. He has had a breathing operation this summer and Paul was wondering if his breathing was just catching him out and he was making mistakes as a result of that. If that works, I have no doubt he is a very good horse as he travels brilliantly and gallops them into the ground, he just needs to get his act together jumping. He has jumped well at home and hopefully everything comes right for him. He is going to start in an Intermediate Chase at Newton Abbot on Sunday with the view to going to Down Royal for a Grade 2 second season chaser race over two and a half miles. If he jumps, he could well be a Grade 1 horse as he’s a serious animal.

Form profile

145 rated hurdler. Gained his most important success in the Grade 3 EBF National Hunt Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final at Kempton (2m 5f) in March when beating Severano six and a half lengths.

Trainer says

He won the rearranged EBF Final at Kempton last year and he will start in the Persian War at Chepstow on Friday. We think he is a smart horse and if Chepstow goes to plan then we will probably try him in a good staying hurdle and at then at some stage, he will jump fences. That may be next season, but it depends how it goes over hurdles. I don’t think we have seen the best of him yet and we would like to see him make up into a top staying hurdler.

Form profile

Winner from now stablemate Hell Red in a hurdle at Auteuil in March.

Trainer says

He is a three-year-old who actually beat Hell Red in a hurdle race at Auteuil in the spring. He will probably start in a Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham at the November meeting and he is a lovely chaser the future.

Form profile

154 rated hurdler. Dual Grade 1 winner over hurdles for Willie Mullins and not seen out since beating Delta Work in the Grade 1 Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle at Punchestown in April 2018.

Trainer says

He was a very good horse for Willie Mullins a couple of years ago but has had a lot of time off. Touch wood he seems to be ok at the moment and hopefully if we can get him to the track, he retains a lot of ability. Will go novice chasing.

Form profile

151 rated hurdler. Struck form for his new stable (formerly trained in France) when beating Ciel De Neige half a length in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury (2m 1/2f) in February.

Trainer says

He won the Betfair Hurdle last season and we always thought of him as a chasing horse. He is a big horse now and Paul has been very patient with him. He will go chasing now and we will probably start him somewhere like Market Rasen in a couple of weeks’ time and let him tell us where he goes next. There’s no doubt he’s a high-class horse and if he takes to chasing, he could be very exciting. He has always been a little bit ignorant over hurdles, but he jumps fences fine and he may respect them a bit more.

Form profile

169 rated chaser. Had his finest hour when making most of the running in the Grade 1 Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham (2m) to score by nine and a half lengths from Dynamite Dollars.

Trainer says

He is obviously a Champion Chase winner and I think we are not going to race him much this year. He will probably run in the Tingle Creek at Sandown and go there really fresh and then all roads will lead to Cheltenham. When he is on song is a very good horse and he is a fabulous jumper. His jumping has been a hallmark of his career and he has done very well during the summer.

Form profile

155 rated hurdler. Landed the listed Contenders Hurdle at Sandown (2m) in February by three lengths from Call Me Lord and finished runner-up, beaten a length and a half, to William Henry in the Grade 3 National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell (2m 3f) later that month.

Trainer says

He has done really well for us and is a classy rock-solid horse. He will go novice chasing this season and could have a spin on the Flat before he does. If he improves a fraction over fences, then he will be right up there in the novice division.

Form profile

166 rated chaser. A winner three times last season for Willie Mullins and gained his last success in the Grade 2 Horse & Jockey Hotel Chasse at Thurles (2m 4 1/2f) in January when beating Footpad 14 lengths.

Trainer says

He ran in the Gold Cup and he could start in the 2m 5f Chase at Ascot that Cyrname won last year. He is obviously a high-class horse so we are looking forward to getting him started.

Form profile

147 rated chaser. Winner of a novice chase at Catterick (2m 3f) in February and subsequently finished seventh, beaten 13 lengths, to Samcro in the Grade 1 Marsh Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham (2m 4f) in March.

Trainer says

His big early season target is the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November. He ran a really good race in the Marsh at Cheltenham, and we hadn’t had him long and he only had one race at Catterick before the Festival. He has done well for a summer break and I would like to think he would go well in the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

Form profile

145 rated hurdler. Scoring for the third time last season when beating Copper Gone West six and a half lengths in a listed Mares' Hurdle at Sandown (2m 4f) in January.

Trainer says

She did well last year winning three and including a nice race at Sandown. She stayed on well up the hill that day but picked up a slight injury. She has schooled well over fences and jumped brilliantly. Whether she starts over fences or hurdles I don’t know but at some stage she will end up over fences and is a very talented horse. She is tough and has a bit of class and she could go to the top.

Form profile

149 rated hurdler. Won the Grade 2 Adonis Hurdle at Kempton (2m) in February on his debut for the stable by 13 lengths from Fujimoto Flyer.

Trainer says

He won the Adonis last season and he will have a quiet year this season and will probably stay over hurdles with a view to going chasing next year. He is a smart horse. I’ve no doubt about that and he didn’t come down the hill at Cheltenham well at all. He has been gelded since and he might start at Auteuil in the valuable Grade 1 Prix Renaud du Vivier on November 8. I can’t wait for this time next year when we go chasing with him.

Form profile

127 rated hurdler. Off the mark on his second attempt over hurdles at Ludlow (3m) in February beating Muckamore a length and a quarter.

Trainer says

He won his maiden hurdle at Ludlow in February and he is rated 127. He would probably go to Cheltenham in a three-mile novice hurdle in October and I think he is going to be a high-class chaser. He is a good staying horse and we haven’t seen the best of him yet.

Form profile

153 rated hurdler. Winner three times in Ireland for Willie Mullins last season including Grade 3 mares’ events at Naas (2m) and Leopardstown (2m 4 1/2f) and finished fifth to Honeysuckle in the Grade 1 Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham (2m 4f) in March.

Trainer says

She finished fifth in the Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March and she might go novice chasing. If she takes to novice chasing, she could be a very exciting mare – she is not overbig but has schooled well – and she has a big engine.

Form profile

164 rated chaser. Missed all of last season but winner of the Grade 1 RSA Chase at Cheltenham (3m 1/2f) in 2019 when beating Santini half a length.

Trainer says

He missed last year with a tendon injury but, touch wood, everything seems fine this season. He will be started off in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury and then, hopefully, he will tell us if he is a Gold Cup horse or not. That would be the dream and the long-term aim. I guess his season will be planned after the Ladbrokes Trophy. He has gone very well fresh in the past and Paul believes he can get them right for that race.

Form profile

155 rated chaser. Finished runner-up, beaten a length and three quarters, to Potters Corner in the Grade 3 Welsh Grand National at Chepstow (3m 6 1/2f) in December and went one better in the Listed Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter (4m 2f) in March when beating Captain Drake 18 lengths.

Trainer says

He was the runaway Midlands National winner and we might go to Kelso in a months’ time for a three and three quarter miles limited handicap chase. He long-term aim, I would imagine, would be the Grand National. He is a real good staying horse and the ground wouldn’t never be soft enough for him. He will probably go for the Welsh National on the way to Aintree.