POLITO STEALS THE SHOW
Grey flyer heads 54-1 Nicholls treble
POP’S late, great musician Prince had his “New Power Generation” to back him – now it the turn of our jumps king, Paul Nicholls.
The 10-times champion trainer landed a 54-1 treble with his novices at Ascot yesterday to add to his Thursday three at Exeter and complete stable jockey Sam TwistonDavies’s prolific comeback from injury.
Star of the show was a gazelle-like grey called Politologue, who earned a 16-1 JLT Chase quote from Paddy Power for his awesome, clinical jumping in the Grade Two Mitie Noel Novices Chase.
Smile
Making all the running and pinging his fences, Politologue had plenty in reserve to see off Rock The Kasbah and put a huge smile on the face of owner John Hales, who bought him after a “love at first sight” encounter in France.
Hales, owner of such stars as One Man and Neptune Collonges, told me: “I was on my way to give a picture of Neptune Collonges’ Grand National triumph to the breeder and we stopped at Auteuil on the way.
“I spotted him in the last race and made an offer to his owner. That was accepted on the way back.”
Nicholls added: “He a special horse. Next season, when he’s six, he will be able to go up and take on the big boys.
“But he won’t do that this season. We’ll just get some experience into him.
“He’s enthusiastic and has got plenty of pace and I’ll stick to two and a half, two-five miles with him. He’s a really exciting horse.
“There’s nothing between him and Clan Des Obeaux and I’m going to give them time.
“These are the horses of the future and I’m not going to over-face them. Clan Des Obeaux will go for the Dipper Chase at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.
But Nicholls may not have a runner in the 32Red King George VI Chase on Boxing Day for “the first time in ages.”
It’s a race he’s won nine times with just three horses – Kauto Star (five victories), See More Business and Silviniaco Conti (two each).
His only chance lies with the 2013-14 winner Silviniaco Conti, who will be left in at the five-day stage, but Nicholls insisted: “If they all go, he won’t.
“We’ll keep our options open because a lot can happen in a week, but there’s no point running them if they have no chance. Perhaps some of these new ones might one day.”
Another of his likely lads Topofthegame made a winning debut in the opening Winning Post Bookmakers Maiden Hurdle to add to an impressive point-to-point success in Ireland.
He’s as big a four-year-old as we have had for a long while,” he said. “When he won his point he never came off the bridle and beat one of Dan Skelton’s that has come out and won.
Smart
“He’s big and green. He sauntered to the front, idled but picked up nicely. He’ll just improve and improve. He won’t be hurdling long and he’d be quite smart, I’d say.
“He and that horse that won yesterday at Exeter, Give Me A Copper, have pretty much done everything together for the last eight weeks and both are big chasing sorts.”
Capitaine, who was allowed to go off at a massive 9-1 in the Grade Two Sky Bet Supreme Trial Hurdle, was another grey to make all the running.
Wearing a hood to curb his enthusiasm, he jumped well and found plenty on the run-in to beat Captain Forez by three and a half lengths.