Kauto stars for Nicholls
Paul Nicholls unleashed two of his big guns at Aintree today and Turko and Kauto Star, both partnered by Ruby Walsh, duly hit the target in commanding fashion.
The latter returned to the fray in the Grade Two Bonusprint.com Old Roan Chase over two and a half miles, having ended last season with a fall at the third fence when favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Sent off as a generous-looking even-money favourite, the six-year-old was always travelling strongly and powered clear approaching the last before going on to record an emphatic 21-length success over stablemate Armaturk.
Nicholls was at Wincanton, where he said: “That was awesome. It was good to see him come back. He did it nicely and he jumped well.
“I was pleased for the horse as he was always a talking horse last season but things went against him.
“He got injured at Exeter and the ground went against him before Cheltenham. He then fell in the Champion Chase and was injured afterwards, so that will have done his confidence good.
“I have always had a suspicion that further would suit him as he could just creep into the race and the two and half miles suited him well.
“He could go for the Tingle Creek again back over two miles and then step up to three miles in the King George, but we will have to see. There is no point making plans at this stage.”
He is best priced 10-1 with William Hill for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, while 3-1 is the top offer with Blue Square and bet365 for the Champion Chase. Coral make him joint-favourite at 4-1 with Monet’s Garden for the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Assistant trainer Dan Skelton added: “Ruby said he jumped impeccably and travelled brilliantly, he has just shown everything we thought he was capable of - we always thought he was a very good horse and we never lost faith in him.”
Turko, a useful hurdler, was making his debut over fences in the Digital Print From Bonusprint.com Novices’ Chase and made most of the running, really asserting his authority as they raced to the third-last and drawing away to beat Il Duce by 12 lengths.
The four-year-old was cut from 25-1 to 14-1 with William Hill and is two points longer with Blue Square for the Royal & Sun Alliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Nicholls said: “He made a great start and it was always the plan to start him off in this race.
“He jumped well and it would be nice to think he could go on to run in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Festival.
“I don’t know where he will go next, though. He could go to Wincanton on November 4 for the Rising Stars race.
“Denman is another possible for that or he could go to Exeter on Tuesday week. Now the rain has come you have to just enter these horses wherever possible and see what happens.”
Jonjo O’Neill’s Wichita Lineman was another to catch the eye as he impressed on his jumping debut when running out a convincing winner of the Bonusprint.com Liverpool Echo European Breeders Fund “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle in the hands of Tony McCoy.
O’Neill, who also had three winners at Towcester, is hoping the JP McManus-owned winner, a half-brother to Rhinestone Cowboy, will go on to better things.
He said of the 11-10 favourite: “We will go the same route with him as we did with Black Jack Ketchum, and if he is as good as him we will be very happy!
“He has looked good on paper, but you just have to see how it all works out, he was good there, he jumped well, he picked up well and he did everything we wanted him to – he will get three miles.”
Ben Pollock could hardly have been more delighted as he greeted Launde (7-4) in the winner’s enclosure after he completed a double for McCoy with four lengths to spare in the Bonusprint.com Handicap Chase (for the John Parrett Memorial Trophy).
Pollock said: “I am chuffed to bits, this is the first ride I have given the champ (McCoy), it is a great day for a little stable like ours to have a winner here.
“Andrew Thornton would have ridden Launde but he had to go to Towcester and he said go ahead and offer the ride to Tony.”
He went on: “Tony said the horse travelled well and jumped brilliantly, but we will just creep along quietly with him.”
Peter Bowen’s decision to step Irish Wolf (100-30) up in trip paid off when the six-year-old got back on the winning trail with 13 lengths to spare under Tom O’Brien in the Canvas Prints From Bonusprint.com Handicap Hurdle.
Bowen was not present, but Irish Wolf’s part-owner Brian Crumbley said: “I was not sure about the three miles, but that seems to be his trip now – two and a half miles was too short for him last time at Market Rasen.
“He mustn’t hit the front too soon, but Tom gave him a brilliant ride again, and I don’t know what Peter will do now, we still think of him as a Flat horse too.”
Owner Trevor Hemmings enjoyed a welcome change of fortune at the meeting and in-form trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies sent out yet another winner when 2-1 favourite Super Nick, ridden by good amateur David England, won the concluding bumper.
Hemmings’ racing manager Michael Meagher said: “I am not sure what we will do with him now, he has won his two bumpers and maybe the bumper at Chepstow on Welsh National day could be a race for him on soft ground.”
