Nicholls To Try Rebel In Blinkers

Cornish Rebel will be tested in blinkers next week as Paul Nicholls considers whether to repeat a tactic that has paid off in the past when the nine-year-old runs in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The trainer revealed today that headgear will be tried out for the first time in exercise to see whether it produces a change in performance from the talented but sometimes quirky gelding.

It was back in 1999 that See More Business won the Gold Cup for Nicholls, also wearing blinkers in a race for the first time.

But the Ditcheat handler warned he is far from convinced that they will make a difference on the full-brother to Best Mate.

'He has got the form to run very well in the race and he is fresh and well, having had a break since he ran at Chepstow,' he said.

'People keep asking me when we are going to try him in blinkers and the answer is that we will have a go next week.

'I am not sure he has got the temperament for them myself. In fact when he ran at Newbury in the Hennessy, he got so worked up before the race that Ruby (Walsh) said he was glad he hadn't been wearing them as they would have excited him even more.

'It might not be the right thing to do but we'll try and find out.

'I remember when we ran See More Business in the race and the owners didn't want us to try him in blinkers. But secretly Cliff (Ward, head groom) and I put them on and he went so well we had to come clean and tell them to run him wearing them. They transformed him.

'You soon get an idea about whether it's going to be helpful or not and we will try, but personally I am not convinced.'

Cornish Rebel, along with stablemate Royal Auclair, are both on course to run in the Gold Cup as part of a team of 'about 20ish' from the yard, whose doors were opened for the press this morning.

Nicholls will be hoping to repeat another of his 1999 achievements when Kauto Star, the favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, lines up on the second day of the meeting.

The trainer drew parallels between the six-year-old and Call Equiname, who won the race for the stable seven years ago.

'People will point to his inexperience but it is his fifth start as a chaser and it was Call Equiname's fifth start when he won,' said Nicholls.

'As a five-year-old he won the Tingle Creek nicely and that wasn't his ideal way round going right-handed. A lot of the French horses seem to prefer going left because they are only used to tracks like Auteuil and Engheim.

'He is fresh and well and he'll have a gallop somewhere weather permitting, either at the end of this week or the start of next week.

'He is the only one of my horses whose preparation we have had to alter slightly by being unable to get a race into him because of the weather. But it wouldn't matter to him because he is straightforward to train and goes well when he is fresh.

'There's certainly no problem with his fitness. He is as fit as a flea. The gallop will just help to sharpen his mind a little.'

Among the many other runners Nicholls plans to have at the Cheltenham Festival, he nominated Andreas as his best bet of a winner at the meeting in the Grand Annual Handicap Chase, while Blue Business also got a favourable mention as ?best outsider' for the four-mile National Hunt Chase.

'Any one winner will keep me happy,' he said. 'I spent a long time trying to get even one so I know how hard it is there.

'I think we've got a few who have a fair chance and hopefully the ground will be good to soft and then nobody will have any complaints.

'In the novice hurdles we have got Denman running in the SunAlliance and I am very happy with him at the moment. His run at Bangor has brought him on enormously but whatever happens this will probably be his last run over hurdles before he goes chasing next autumn.

'Noland and Natal run in the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices' Hurdle and although one is a lot shorter in the betting than the other, I can assure you that there would be nothing between them.'

Gungadu is a possible for the Brit Insurance Novices' Hurdle, as is Neptune Collonges, while the exciting Kicks For Free could be joined by Pepporoni Pete in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, if the latter's engagement at Newbury this weekend falls foul to the weather.

'We haven't done very well in the bumper before but these are two nice horses,' said Nicholls.

'Thisthatandtother came fourth for us but he was a chaser and Kicks For Free has more speed than he would have done.'

In the Royal & SunAlliance Chase, Nicholls appears to have two good chances with Napolitain and Star de Mohaison.

While others with multiple engagements include the likes of Albuhera, Hors La Loi III and Armaturk.

? PA Sport