Brave has the game for victory

BRAVEMANSGAME is taken to come out on top in another edition of his series of battles with Ahoy Senor in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.

The pair earned exactly the same rating in productive first seasons over fences last year, emerging as two of the best staying novice chasers around.

The Paul Nicholls-trained Bravemansgame came out on top when they met in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton, a track which never looked likely to suit Ahoy Senor and he proceeded to make several jumping errors.

They were due to take each other on at Cheltenham in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase but Bravemansgame was taken out shortly before that contest due to the rainsoftened ground. Ahoy Senor went on to finish second to L’Homme Presse. They did meet again at Aintree when Ahoy Senor turned the tables on L’Homme Presse with Bravemansgame finishing a tailed off last of four, when he clearly did not give his running having been trained for Cheltenham but being forced to wait a month to run.

This season, with Nicholls harbouring doubts about him staying the Gold Cup trip, the King George back at Kempton is Bravemansgame’s big aim, and his trainer is planning on going straight there after this, which suggests he may just be a bit more tuned up than Ahoy Senor at this stage of the season.

Perhaps the main reason for coming down in favour of the Nicholls runner, though, is that in winning at Newbury, Wetherby and Aintree last season, Ahoy Senor gave away ground by jumping to his right. He is unlikely to get away with that this weekend.

Martello Sky is taken to get the better of last year’s winner Molly Ollys Wishes in the bet365 Mares’ Hurdle.

Lucy Wadham’s grey improved 10lb last season, rattling off three wins in the process.

She was last seen finishing seventh behind Marie’s Rock at Cheltenham in March, when a mistake at a crucial stage knocked her out of contention.

Molly Ollys Wishes is likely to be tuned to be minute by Dan Skelton, but the two years younger Martello Sky has age on her side.

Sporting John has always promised to be a high-class horse and he may deliver on that promise this season.

Already a Grade One-winning novice chaser, it went wrong for him over fences after that success but since then he is two from three over hurdles.

Having missed the Cheltenham Festival with a setback, he reappears in the bet365 Hurdle and his class can shine through.

Nicholls’ Magistrato ultimately did not live up to expectations last season but better can be expected in the Bateaux London Handicap Hurdle at Ascot.

An easy winner on his first start for the champion trainer, he was sent off favourite for a Triumph Hurdle trial at Cheltenham in November but was beaten just over three lengths by Knight Salute.

That form obviously worked out very well but Magistrato went the wrong way after it, with three disappointing runs.

He reappears off a lowly handicap mark, having had wind surgery and wearing a tongue tie, so if Lorcan Williams can get him settled, he may be a live one.

Amoola Gold had initially won back-to-back renewals of the Byrne Group Handicap Chase before being disqualified for a banned substance after last year’s race.

Despite going close off a mark of 150 last November, Amoola Gold is running off just 143 as he bids to make amends.

Dermot Weld’s Keep In Touch appears to have a very strong chance on form in the British Stallion Studs EBF Montrose Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket.

Her dam, Unaccompanied, was a Listed winner on the Flat herself before winning Grade Ones over hurdles.

Keep In Touch beat Lumiere Rock - a subsequent Group Three victor to win her maiden and Keep In Touch herself was beaten less than a length in a similar race herself.

Ottoman Fleet has been very consistent all season and ran yet another good race to chase home Alflaila in the Darley Stakes last time out.

There is nothing of that class in the National Stud Welcomes Stradivarius James Seymour Stakes.

LIVERPOOL boss Jurgen Klopp says he does not know if he should have been given a touchline ban for his behaviour during the victory over Manchester City earlier this month.

Klopp was red-carded late on in the 1-0 win at Anfield on October 16 after directing angry protests at referee Anthony Taylor and his assistant over no foul being given for a challenge on Mohamed Salah by Bernardo Silva.

Yesterday, the Football Association announced the German, having accepted his behaviour was “improper”, had been handed a £30,000 fine over the incident by an independent panel, but he avoided a touchline ban.

The FA may choose to appeal that decision once it receives the written reasons from the panel.

Asked if he felt it was a fair punishment, Klopp said: “I know what I said, and I know that saying that, but from a further distance and with a different face, it would have been completely fine. I said ‘how can you not, how can you not?’

“I think the most expensive face, I’m not sure in the world, but at least here. I think it’s a lot of money but I heard it will be invested for something good, and that’s fine.

“Should I have got a ban? I don’t know. I never was in the situation, I never had a red card, I didn’t ever have a yellow card as far as I know.”