Nicholls to strike with Classe act

Paul Nicholls

COPAIN DE CLASSE is well worth another chance in the 188bet.co.uk Novices’ Hurdle at Wincanton.

Paul Nicholls’ five-year-old looked a horse of some potential when an easy winner from a subsequent scorer at Chepstow in November.

Off the track until February, Nicholls probably expected him to be able to handle very soft ground as he was recruited from France.

However, the ground was especially testing at Wincanton when he last ran and after travelling smoothly he completely fell in a hole.

It is not hard to forgive a young horse one bad run in such conditions and on a much sounder surface Copain De Classe can get his career back on track in the opener.

Nicholls should double up with Antartica De Thaix in the 188Bet Novices’ Chase.

Her easy victory over the smart Desert Queen last time out marked her down as one of the most talented mares on this side of the Irish Sea.

Nicholls will be targeting these small-field races in his battle with Nicky Henderson to be champion trainer.