Unioniste tops Sky Bet field
Paul Nicholls appears to have a strong hand with six of the 50 entries for the £75,000 (€90,000) Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster on January 25.
Stablemates Unioniste and Sam Winner have been installed as 12-1 joint-favourites by the sponsors with fellow Ditcheat raiders including The Minack, Pacha Du Polder, Mon Parrain and Harry The Viking all engaged.
Course and distance winner Night In Milan will have plenty of supporters following his all-the-way win on Town Moor before Christmas but his trainer Keith Reveley expects him to find it more difficult to dominate in a larger field.
“The Sky Bet Chase is the plan for Night In Milan. He won really well last time and deserved to win a nice handicap because he is a solid, consistent horse,” said the Saltburn handler.
“He has been in good form since and obviously likes the track at Doncaster, so fingers crossed. He has gone up the weights a little bit, but is still a young horse and there might be a little bit of improvement there.
“The only slight concern would be that he is unlikely to get an easy lead in a race like the Sky Bet. He is definitely happier out in front, bowling along with an easy lead, but he won’t get that. We will just have to hope he settles in second or third and takes a lead.”
Martin Keighley has entered his Grade One-winning novice Annacotty, who dented some lofty reputations in the Feltham on Boxing Day, and Faultless Feelings, but only one of the two would run as they are both under the same ownership.
Keighley said: “Annacotty is a possible for the Sky Bet Chase as I think the flat, galloping track at Doncaster will really suit him, though he will have an entry at Cheltenham the same day.
“The handicapper would love me to run him in a handicap to see if he’s got him right and it is tempting. A mark of 144 could be workable as he’s still improving.
“He’s not an ungenuine horse, he just needs the headgear to keep him focused and it was a good performance at Kempton.
“Faultless Feelings has the same owner as Annacotty and they wouldn’t both run in the same race. He’s improving and ran a cracking race at Newbury, though it’s frustrating he went up 5lb for coming second.”
Nicky Henderson has entered Hadrian’s Approach, Roberto Goldback, Ma Filleule and Giorgio Quercus while Donald McCain has put in Super Duty, Kruzhlinin and Our Mick.
Grand National winner Auroras Encore, Walkon and Court By Surprise are others among the classy entry, for which the weights are released next Wednesday.
Sky Bet Chase, sponsors bet:: 12-1 Unioniste, Sam Winner; 14-1 Hadrian’s Approach, Court By Surprise; 16-1 The Minack, Walkon, Teaforthree, Super Duty, Annacotty, Kruzhlinin, Mart Lane, Quartz de Thaix, Vintage Star, Night In Milan, Muldoon’s Picnic, The Druids Nephew, Night Alliance, Loch Ba, 20-1 bar.
