Niven looking forward to 2016 with Cookie Peter Niven expects Clever Cookie to make his mark in the top staying races next season following his luckless run on British Champions Day at Ascot. A wide draw made life difficult for the seven-year-old and he also encountered his fair share of trouble in running before flying home to fill the runner-up spot behind Flying Officer. Niven is in no doubt his stable star would have come out on top with a clearer passage and will now give him a break before returning in 2016. "There's not a bother on him and the horse has done us proud," said the trainer. "I think the problems stemmed from being drawn in stall 13 as we were on the back foot from the start. We were upsides the winner coming out of Swinley Bottom, Frankie (Dettori) got a dream run and we probably went 50 yards further than him. "We were probably morally the best horse on the day, but that doesn't get you the money, unfortunately. "There's no doubt he's up to that class and if they'd gone a stronger gallop it would have helped. "I didn't even put him in the French St Leger next week as Ascot was always the target and I thought running him again six days later would be too soon. "He'll have a couple of months off now and then we'll start to get him ready for next season." Niven is keeping his fingers crossed for a wet summer to allow his charge to take his chance in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. He said: "There'll be the Yorkshire Cup and the Chester race early on and then if it rained we could go for the Gold Cup. "After that you start looking to the second half of the season and races like the Irish Leger, the Doncaster Cup and the Prix du Cadran. "He's definitely up to winning more than one of those. He'll be an eight-year-old, but he's only run 19 times, so he's lightly raced."
