Nicholls has the perfect Present
Paul NichollS has won the National hunt trainer’s championship for an incredible 11th time and he can celebrate his coronation with a victory for
PRESENT MAN (Sandown, nap 3.35) in the bet365 Gold cup.
Nicholls saddled his 3,000th uK jumps winner at cheltenham and a triumvirate of Present Man, Give Me a copper and adrien Du Pont give him a chance of ending a magnificent season in style.
Partnered by the returning Bryony Frost, who herself has captured the season’s conditional jockeys’ title, Present Man will be fresher than most for the end-ofseason feature and his record on ground no worse than good to soft when rested for up to two months features five wins, two seconds and a third.
The selection appeared likely to take a hand in last year’s race, won impressively by Step Back. however, the soft ground took its toll in the closing stages and Present Man could only manage third behind the runaway winner and Rock The Kasbah, partnered by four-time champion jockey Richard Johnson.
Step Back should feel more comfortable returning to a righthanded track after the Grand National at aintree and the fitting of cheekpieces for the first time may be a smart move.
Present Man has been off the track since struggling with his breathing at Taunton and a recent operation to remedy that could see him return in the same form which saw him win well at Wincanton last November.
Frost, who is back from a spell on the sidelines with a broken collarbone, enjoyed a magnificent round of jumping aboard the nine-year-old that day.
and, although some question Present Man’s stamina at today’s trip, it looks a chance worth taking as the conditions will suit a horse likely to be towards the head of affairs.