Doncaster aim for Lord Noelie

First-season trainer Bridget Nicholls intends to run Lord Noelie in the renamed £50,000 (€72,000) Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster if the ground is suitable.

Formerly known as the Great Yorkshire Chase, this season’s renewal on Saturday week is the target for the 11-year-old, who gave Ms Nicholls her first winner when successful at Cheltenham on New Year’s Eve.

“The plan is certainly to run Lord Noelie unless the ground went terribly soft. If it’s good or faster, then he will take part,” she said.

Nicholls reports that Lord Noelie has come out of the Cheltenham contest well and the victory is something that she will never forget.

“Lord Noelie seems in very good form. The Cheltenham race seems to have done him the power of good and he’s very well,” she said.

“It was firstly a massive relief to get that number one on the board and secondly it was obviously amazing to have my first winner at Cheltenham.”

Before he joined Nicholls last year, Lord Noelie had been a great servant to her former boss Henrietta Knight with his greatest victory coming in the 2000 Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

That win was the last time that Lord Noelie had scored before his recent success and Nicholls is now contemplating another tilt at the Festival.

“Lord Noelie’s win was great for the horse as he hasn’t won for nearly four years. I would think he may possibly run in the William Hill Handicap Chase at Cheltenham – we will make an entry for that,” added Nicholls.

“He’s gone up 5lb in the handicap for the win at Cheltenham – I expected about that as he won by four lengths.

“He’s probably got a high enough handicap mark but as I say it’s only 5lb more than when he won so fingers crossed, he should be there or thereabouts when he runs next.”