Pagaille shines on his happy hunting ground
Williams’ star sees off Bravesmansgame at Haydock
‘But that’s him. He’s not switched on there – when you get him to the races he comes alive. It would have to be a career-best performance, wouldn’t it? Maybe if all the horses in this race were at the top of their game, you would put a different light but they weren’t, necessarily.’ Not true. Paul Nicholls, Bravemansgame’s trainer, insisted there were no excuses from his camp and they had been beaten by a better horse; Corach Rambler, who plugged on resolutely for third, delighted Lucinda Russell with his application following a lacklustre comeback at Kelso in October.
This quite simply was the product of a class animal being wonderfully prepared by a superb trainer and Royale Pagaille’s victory was enthusiastically greeted by a bumper, knowledgeable crowd. They know a good one when they see one here and they know where the gelding will be heading.
Bravemansgame remains favourite for the King George VI Chase at Kempton, the St Stephen’s Day midwinter championship, but it would take a brave man to say with certainty he will turn this form around, for all that Nicholls was bullish.
‘We’ll get him fresh for Kempton,’ said Nicholls. ‘The other horse outstayed him. He’s run a good race but Kempton’s his track. Sometimes they want a few races to harden them up a bit. He’s run well and he’ll run well at Kempton: that probably suits him better.’
Perhaps but consider this: Royal Pagaille has had two runs at Kempton and a win and second place in last season’s King George suggests he likes it, too. Williams won that great race 25 years ago with Teeton Mill. Don’t rule out the prospect of her doing it again.
Meanwhile, Shishkin’s refusal to start at Ascot yesterday has left trainer Nicky Henderson with a massive headache.
The recalcitrance of the odds-on favourite effectively handed the Grade Two Nirvana Spa 1965 Chase to Pic D’Orhy, while leaving Henderson searching for options to give Shishkin a prep race ahead of the King George VI Chase.
Shishkin has shown reluctant tendencies before and during races, but this was a whole new level of obstinacy, with jockey Nico de Boinville helpless to get him to move.
Henderson said: ‘He is a quirky character at times but he will never turn his head. He was in a mood today and he wasn’t for moving. I wish I could tell you more but I can’t – I can’t read his head.
‘I don’t know why he did that today, it’s one of those starts where you are going away from home (stables) and the odd horse will do it. My biggest concern would be the King George start would be exactly the same. How could I guarantee he wouldn’t do the same thing again? But I can
He is a quirky character at times but he will never turn his head
guarantee if I took him down to the two-mile start here he would fly up. He would be in the lead.
‘The alternatives, I will have to look, and if there is an open handicap I wouldn’t mind running him, but as you know the programme doesn’t allow these horses to run very often.’
Pic D’Orhy, trained by Paul Nicholls, won by 16 lengths but initially had to battle hard to fend off 40-1 runner-up Straw Fan Jack, leaving jockey Harry Cobden underwhelmed.
Pic D’Orhy was one of four winners on the day for Cobden.