Nicholls: Royal best needed
The gelding is a general 8-1 chance for the £120,000 Newbury event after his good winning seasonal reappearance at Wincanton earlier in the month in the Badger Ales Trophy.
The Ditcheat maestro had reported beforehand the seven-year-old would be an improved performer this season after having had a breathing operation over the summer.
“Ever since we had him he was struggling but we didn’t do anything about it until the summer, and obviously he won well at Wincanton,” said Nicholls.
Royal Auclair only switched to Nicholls’ yard from Martin Pipe last season, and although his recent victory was his first for his new trainer, he has been admirably consistent, with his best performance being second to Puntal in the Betfred Gold Cup Chase.
“He is going to be much better going left-handed,” Nicholls added. “Ruby (Walsh) is on board and he has got a nice weight, but he will need a career-best to win I think because he has gone up again and it is a very competitive race.
“He couldn’t be in better order anyway.
“There are lots of dangers, Celestial Gold is a good horse, but there are a number of good horses in the race, in such a competitive handicap you have to say that they are all dangers.”
Peter Bowen may well be triple-handed in the extended three mile and two furlong contest after announcing yesterday that he is considering running Ballycassidy, Swansea Bay and Take The Stand.
The first-mentioned, a general 10-1 shot would look to be the Haverfordwest handler’s leading contender following his good second to Stormez at Cheltenham earlier this month.
Swansea Bay, who has slipped down the handicap after showing little since his victory in the Edward Hanmer Chase a year ago, is likely to have regular pilot Andrew Thornton on board, but Bowen has yet to finalise his plans for the others.
“Obviously, they will have to have blood tests and tracheal washes beforehand, but at this stage, I would say that all three will run,” said Bowen.
“Andrew Thornton is on Swansea Bay, Seamus Durack will ride one of them, and for the other one, I will have to see whether Richard Johnson becomes available.”
“They are all fine at the moment, obviously with Swansea Bay, he needs good ground, which he probably won’t get. The others would have equal enough chances, I suppose,” he added.
Ladbrokes reported money yesterday for Frances Crowley’s Nil Desperandum, now available at 6-1.
: 11-4 Celestial Gold, 6-1 Joly Bey, Nil Desperandum 7-1 Lord Transcend, Ollie Magern, 8-1 Royal Auclair, 10-1 Ballycassidy, 16-1 Frenchman´s Creek, Gunther McBride, Puntal, Take The Stand, 20-1 First Gold, 25-1 bar.
