Racing Chatter – Celebration In Store, For Nicholls’ Charge?

Another huge weekend of racing is at an end. Which trainers have been talking the talk?

Politologue Has Paul’s Sympathy

Paul Nicholls was delighted to see San Benedeto win the Maghull Novices’ Chase, but he wasted no time in pointing out that stablemate Politologue was extremely unfortunate.

“It’s obviously nice to win, it’s nice to have a first reserve! He’s an amazing horse, he won on Sunday and sometimes fortune favours the brave. How unlucky was Politologue though? He winged the last to go and win his race and I don’t know, but it looked like he stumbled.

“John (Hales) is disappointed but at least it’s confirmed what Sam and I think, that he is probably a two-miler. He gallops and jumps and that will probably be his job next year. It’s nice to have a Grade One winner and a winner here. It’s good of Paul (Vogt, owner) to let me run him too as he only ran on Sunday and I had to persuade him that he was really well and I thought he would run OK.

“He [San Benedeto] takes no training this horse, and he loves this ground. He’s in the form of his life. I was going to take him to Sandown for the Celebration Chase and we still might if he’s still in the same sort of form. He’s had an amazing season, he started off at Sedgefield in May.”

O’Brien Braced For Orderofthegarter’s Guineas Tilt

Orderofthegarter’s outstanding performance, in the 2,000 Guineas Trial Stakes at Leopardstown, has immediately led to Aidan O’Brien considering running him in the big race at Newmarket. His inmate beat Taj Mahal, by almost 4-lengths and looked to have plenty more under the bonnet.

“He’s made nice progress from Naas. His two runs last year were second to two good horses of ours so we probably shouldn’t be surprised with what he’s doing.

“Seamus (Heffernan) was positive on him. He gets a mile well and should get a mile and a quarter. He could be an Irish Guineas horse, and he goes on any ground.

“At the moment we are looking at running Churchill at Newmarket and Caravaggio in France. That is Plan A, but things can always change.”

Chasing The Choice, For King’s Star

Alan King says he is relieved, rather than overjoyed, at Yanworth’s victory in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree. The 7-year-old’s win did look a little laboured, but the trainer feels he now has the green light to go chasing with him.

“We were trying three miles today and it was a long run-in. I’m relieved more than anything, delighted with him.

“He won a Christmas Hurdle and a Kingwell so we had to go to the Champion Hurdle. I wasn’t confident today, but we got away with it.

“I think he will be even better over a fence and he will go novice chasing in the autumn.”

Brian Won’t Brood, Despite Bad Luck

Brian Ellison could be forgiven for thinking the racing gods have it in for him, following more bad luck at Aintree on Saturday. Definitly Red was travelling well, before being badly hampered by the fall of The Young Master. Jockey Danny Cook did well to avoid a divorce, but was forced to pull his mount up as the tack had slipped.

“He’s fine, he was just unlucky.” said Ellison, who remains upbeat.

“He jumped well to Bechers and jumped that well but The Young Master fell in front of him and unfortunately he was straight behind him.

“He went over the top, Danny went up in the air and as he came down, the saddle went under his belly and then he couldn’t pull him up and jumped the next fence with no saddle.

“It’s just unfortunate but the horse is fine. That’s the thing with the National, you have to keep out of trouble and unfortunately we didn’t.”

“We have all the hype about winning the National and it would be great to win but the main thing is I’ve got a horse for next year to go to war with.”