Nicholls pair just champion
Paul Nicholls will hope his Cheltenham Festival luck holds out in today’s Queen Mother Champion Chase.
The Ditcheat trainer saddles Cenkos and Kadarann in the £250,000 (€365,551) highlight and will be looking for one of his representatives to follow stable companion Azertyuiop’s impressive victory in the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy on the opening day of the meeting.
Nicholls slightly favours the chances of Cenkos and said: “I think Cenkos may be the one but only marginally. He’s improved so much from last time.
“Kadarann’s improving and is a young horse. The others are exposed and he’s improving. You never know.”
Whatever their fate, Nicholls looks to have a major contender for next year’s Champion Chase in Azertyuiop after the 5-4 favourite’s demolition of his Arkle rivals as he stretched his winning run over fences to four races with an 11-length drubbing of Impek in the hands of Ruby Walsh.
“This has always been the aim and I’m incredibly relieved,” said Nicholls. “The Arkle has been the target for the last two years ever since (owner) John Hales sent him to me. I’ve always thought he was a good horse.
“He’s done everything right, is a real professional and had a great jockey riding him.”
Azertyuiop earned a quote of 5-1 from Coral for the 2004 Champion Chase with his success in the £140,000 (€204,708) contest and Nicholls said that race is the gelding’s long-term target.
“He’s never schooled over hurdles – he’s always jumped baby fences,” Nicholls added.
“Last year he was touted as a possible Champion Hurdler but we never really trained him that hard. He was never going to be a hurdler. He’s a Champion Chase horse – he’s got that much speed.
“Two miles is his trip, he doesn’t want to go further and won’t do. He has the gears and speed and now we will start planning for the Queen Mother Champion Chase next year.
“I don’t know about running him again this season at Liverpool or Punchestown. We haven’t really thought beyond the Arkle and after his One Man was killed at Liverpool the owner isn’t really keen on going there again.”
