Zarkandar seeking World Hurdle domination
The eight-year-old, who finished fourth to More Of That in last year’s three-mile showpiece, was touched off by Reve De Sivola in the JLT Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot just before Christmas.
Sam Twiston-Davies’s mount was seemingly running all over Reve De Sivola but downed tools when hitting the front and his rival battled back to win.
Nicholls was visibly shaken by the defeat and refused to answer questions in the immediate aftermath.
Zarkandar is currently 10-1 third-favourite with the sponsors behind last year’s champion for the feature event on March 12. Nicholls’ other big hope, last week’s Cleeve Hurdle winner Saphir Du Rheu, is second in the betting behind the Jonjo O’Neill-trained More Of That in most lists.
And the trainer says he has since been pleased with Zarknadar’s progress.
Nicholls said: “Zarkandar goes straight to Cheltenham. I didn’t talk to the press afterwards, because we don’t like getting beat a short head in Grade Ones and it didn’t quite work out quite how we hoped it would.
“Sam learned a big lesson that day as to the way he rode Saphir Du Rheu taking on and beating Reve De Sivola last week (at Cheltenham).
“Zarkandar got left in front a bit too soon at Ascot and a more competitive race will suit him.
“Last year was almost an afterthought running him the World Hurdle. We’ve kept him fresh for it this year and trained him for it, and he’s in good shape. We knows he stays. All he wants is a bit of cover and to attack late.
“It is just unfortunate the way it worked out at Ascot.
“I was listening to Ruby (Walsh, Nicholls’s former stable jockey) on Racing UK the other day, and he thinks Zarkandar is the one they’ve all got to beat. I’ve no idea about jockey plans yet, though. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Meanwhile the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter has been pencilled for Jim Dreaper’s potential Aintree hope Goonyella.
The eight-year-old missed the cut in the Crabbie’s Grand National on Merseyside last spring, but is likely to be entered once more in the hope that he gets in the race and has his favoured testing conditions.
Dreaper’s charge performed well to finish third in the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park behind Gold Cup aspirant Djakadam, albeit profiting from the final-fence fall of The Job Is Right.
Dreaper said: “He’s very consistent, but he just seems to be in the grip of the handicapper at the moment.
“He was up there the whole way and was placed by default in the end.
“The ground in Gowran was extremely testing and I think it was a hard race for all the horses, apart from the winner, who was very impressive.
“I don’t think he’ll be going to Haydock as that will likely come too quick.
“We’ll enter him in the National. He just missed out last year and he’s a bit lower in the weights this year. I think he has a similar chance of getting in.
“But if you don’t enter, you definitely won’t get in, so we’ll put him in there and it could be that he pitches up at Uttoxeter first at the end of Cheltenham week in the Midlands Grand National.”
