“A lot of hard work is paying off,” explains David Pipe, analysing his team’s bounce back after a couple of disappointing years.
“Last year we just sent three horses to the Cheltenham Festival, but next month we are looking to have around ten, which is much better. And of course with Panic Attack joining the team we have two very strong runners in the bumper. We won the race with Moon Racer four years ago, but he had a lot of speed, while Israel Champ and Panic Attack are totally different types.
The former has possibly the best form of the British, while the latter was hugely impressive in a Listed race at Market Rasen against smart opponents.”
The Nicholashayne team received a huge boost earlier this month when owner Bryan Drew bought Willie Mullins’ highly-rated mare.
“It is funny how things work out as Bryan was obviously feeling very down after losing such a wonderful horse as Warthog, his pride and joy, who died. He had intimated he was thinking of trying to buy the filly, but I remember getting a phone call out of the blue one evening with Bryan saying ‘I’ve bought her and she will be coming to you’, which was a great boost for everyone.”
But the Pipe team have several smart irons in the fire for next month including Eden De Houx, Night Edition, Poker Play and Ramses De Teillee.
“Obviously we have two lovely horses for the bumper but we usually have a few for the handicaps. You can never be optimistic, but I am considerably happier than I was 12 months ago. All in all things have gone much better this term and I would hope we can get up to over 70 winners again by the end of the season. I have been very fortunate to have some wonderful owners and thankfully we are getting much better results again.”
Brinkley
5 gr g Martaline – Royale Majesty
He is a very interesting newcomer to the team who hasn’t been here that long. He was bought out of Liz Doyle’s stable after an eyecatching third of 22 behind Blue Sari in a Punchestown maiden hurdle. To my eye he looks like a galloper who will want 3m and I hope he has a nice future. He has entries for the Ballymore and Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham but they were early closers, so we thought it best to put him in. He has been going nicely at home and was due to make his debut at Exeter on Sunday but that was called off. With the weather as it is I don’t know where he will run next, but he is in at Doncaster on Wednesday.
Duc De Beauchene
7 b g Saddler Maker – Quatia D’Angron
He made a very pleasing start to the season when winning a competitive 2m5f handicap hurdle at Cheltenham’s Open meeting. That earned him a 10lb hike, which has made life a lot harder. We took him to Wincanton the following month but he was a disappointing seventh. He loves the mud and we are keen to get him out again soon as he seems in good order.
Eamon An Cnoic
9 b g Westerner – Nutmeg Tune
He finished fourth in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate at Cheltenham 11 months ago and the plan is to head back to the festival next month. He has been in and out of form this season but he seems in good order at the moment. He will go for either the same race again or possibly the Grand Annual, but we will decide nearer the time. His owners are coming over from America for the meeting, so I am hoping he is on a going day. Last time out at Wetherby in the Castleford Chase,the ground was very testing which he didn’t enjoy and he would be much happier on good to soft.
Eden Du Houx
6 b g Irish Wells – Maralypha
He has done little wrong in his six-race career, having won a point, both bumpers – one of which was Listed, and on his third hurdles run this term he beat the smart Mario De Pail at Chepstow. We gave him a wind operation after his first two hurdles outings and he seems to be in a better place now. He showed great tenacity at Chepstow as he galloped all the way to the line, which is the important thing. He ran at Ascot in the big 2m3f handicap on Saturday putting up an indifferent performance. He was going great guns until the third last, where he made a mistake, and then didn’t meet the last flight right, but still finished third. Had he jumped the last okay he would have been second, but the winner prevailed very easily. It might be that we need to step him up in trip now. We will certainly be looking to Cheltenham with him as he will be in the novices and handicaps. Which route we take I don’t know after that effort.
First Lord De Cuet
6 gr g Lord Du Sud – Alyce
He was a winning pointer and did well when easily landing a bumper last season. This term he started off with a good fourth behind Edwardstone and followed up by winning a maiden hurdle at Southwell. Last time out at Haydock he finished a close second, again over 2m. He has since had a breathing operation and we will possibly step him up to 2m4f on better ground now. He has a good attitude and jumps well and I would be disappointed if there were not more to come from him.
Gabrielle Du Seuil
4 b f Cokoriko – Marie Du Seuil
She came to us from France having finished fourth in both of her runs over hurdles. She is entered in the Fred Winter and Triumph Hurdle and is a horse with a very good attitude. Obviously we need to get her out soon to qualify for the Fred Winter as they need three runs. We will find out more on the track but I do like her. She is a bit keen and enthusiastic at home and needs to learn to settle more, but she goes nicely. Hopefully she will go as well on the track.
Hugo ‘N Taz
9 b g Kayf Tara – Ryde To Arms
He joined us in the autumn from Denis Hogan and I would describe him as a proper old fashioned steeplechaser. He won his only start for us to date when taking the 3m3½f Lincolnshire National at Market Rasen, which earnt him an 8lb hike to a mark of 120. That was a good performance and we were delighted with him. I would be disappointed if he didn’t build on that next time. He is in the Eider on Saturday and could be a possible for the National Hunt Chase next month.
Induno
6 b g Flemensfirth – Vast Consumption
He enjoyed a fine start to the season winning a bumper at Ffos Las and a novices’ hurdle at Sedgefield, before disappointing back at the latter course on Boxing Day. We have freshened him up since and he is ready to go at the end of this month or early March. He has been going well at home and I am sure he can put the last run behind him. He should stay well in time, yet he has plenty of speed.
Israel Champ
5 b g Milan – La Dariska
It was trainer error that got him beaten first time out at Worcester but he has really stepped up since then, winning back-to-back Listed bumpers at Cheltenham and Ascot. He has the best British form going into the bumper at Cheltenham and we are very excited about him. Of course his next race is not the be-all and end-all and he looks to have a nice future jumping hurdles. Like so many good bumper horses, he will stay 3m eventually. We won the race with Moon Racer four years ago but it is tough to compare them as this fellow wouldn’t have the speed of him. He is building up nicely to Cheltenham and he will be one of two very strong contenders we have for the big race.
Kepagge
6 b g Getaway – Miracle Lady
He has done little wrong in his two rules races to date, winning both. He was impressive winning a Chepstow bumper and we went hurdling after that at Leicester where he won a 2m4f novice hurdle. He gave us a bit of a fright on that occasion jumping the first badly, and then nearly losing Tom [Scudamore] at the second. It was, however, a win, and he remains unbeaten. I am in no hurry with him as we are taking things at a steady pace as he learns his trade.
Main Fact
7 b g Blame – Reflections
This fellow enjoyed a very successful nine-day period in January when winning three times, all over 2m. He started off at Warwick before adding to his collection of wins at Uttoxeter and Ffos Las. He has, however, paid for that with his handicap rising from 98 at the start of the season to 123 now – some 25lb higher. He has given his owners a wonderful time and I am hoping that there is more to come, but that will be in more competitive handicap company now. I don’t think his mark is too bad but it is a totally different ball game when they join the ranks of the experienced handicappers. So far he has done nothing wrong, and I think he is a lovely horse – I would hope he will continue to hold his own in better handicaps.
Make Me A Believer
5 br g Presenting – Kiltiernan Robin
He is still a baby but made a pleasing debut at Chepstow back in October when knuckling down well to repel all of his challengers in a bumper. I think the form looks pretty decent as the runner-up, Philip Hobbs’s Everglow, finished a four-length third to Israel Champ next time out. We are not rushing this fellow as he has a nice future and he will possibly only have one more run this season.
Night Edition
4 b g Authorized – Night Serenade
He was a winner on the Flat in France before joining us in the autumn. He has had two runs, the latter being a most encouraging second at Cheltenham on Trials day, when a length second to Galahad Quest in the Grade 2 JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle. That was a cracking effort for one so inexperienced over hurdles and we now have the Fred Winter in our sights. For that we need one more run before 24 February to qualify and he is due to run today at Ludlow. He wasn’t an expensive purchase in France and is not overly big, but he looks a nice horse for the future.
Panic Attack
4 b f Canford Cliffs- Toto Corde Meo
I remember watching this filly dot up at Market Rasen in a Listed bumper earlier this year and being very impressed. So you can imagine how happy I was when one of my owners, Bryan Drew, rang me up and told me he had bought her and she was coming to Nicholashayne. He had intimated that he was interested in acquiring Panic Attack, but when he phoned me one evening to tell me he had actually bought her I was grinning from ear to ear. Obviously she has been bought out of Willie Mullins’ stable primarily for the Cheltenham Festival bumper, so to have her and Israel Champ as live candidates is very exciting for the yard. She has only been here a week but she has a lovely way about her. She has settled in well and the early signs are good. She is a good easy mover and is doing all at home that you would hope and expect. I have no idea who will ride each of my two bumper hopes but we have Tom and David [Noonan] in the team so I am not too worried about finding a jockey! Israel Champ and Panic Attack are two totally different types of horse so I couldn’t compare but win, lose or draw they are both going to be lovely horses going forward for next season.
Poker Play
7 ch g Martaline – Becquarette
He was a useful handicap hurdler last season and made a fine start to this term, when he won a novice chase at Ffos Las from Sensulano. We subsequently ran him twice at Cheltenham and he lost his form somewhat. He has had his breathing operated on, and having not looked the bravest of horses over his fences, we will revert to hurdling. One option we are considering is trying to get him qualified for the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham, or alternatively the Martin Pipe. It will be borderline if he gets in, but he will go to Chepstow on Saturday for a Pertemps qualifier and we will see how he gets on.
Ramses De Teillee
8 gr g Martaline – Princesse D’Orton
He has been a real superstar and is equally effective over hurdles or fences. I was delighted with his run last month in the Grade 2 River Don Novices’ Hurdle where he ran out a very impressive winner and the key thing was that he ran right through the line. He did exactly the same last weekend at Haydock where he put up another fine performance to win the Grade 2 Prestige Stakes by 4L from Kalooki. You could see from the way he won that he loves his job, he is a proper battler as all the way up the straight Kalooki looked to have him beaten, but when push came to shove he just went away. He is the most wonderfully genuine horse and I would think we will go for the Albert Bartlett next month with him. He ticks all the boxes and will be a serious player, whatever the ground. That said if it comes up soft we know he handles the ground, whereas several of his rivals might not be so happy. He has been allotted 10st 5lb in the Grand National and it is a race we are seriously considering, but the owners and I will talk more after Cheltenham.
Rathlin Rose
12 b g Bonbon Rose – A Plus Ma Puce
He is getting on a bit now but he loves those military races at Sandown and Captain Guy Disney gets on very well with him, in fact Guy was down recently to work him and was pleased with the old boy. I thought he ran well in the Welsh National and even better in the Sussex National when third to the progressive Christmas In April, not beaten far. He loves the mud and Sandown, both of which bring the best out of him.
Teaser
5 b g Dansili – Tottie
He was a great buy out of a Leicester seller and is the first horse for his owners The Willpower Partnership. He has given them so much fun for a first horse, winning four races for them. He is back in now after his winter break and is being prepared for a spring and summer campaign. I think there is more improvement in him, although he is now up to a mark of 125 from 110 last year. Life will be tougher but we can mix and match between jumping and the Flat this summer.
Umbrigado
6 br g Stowaway – Dame O’Neill
He had a grand time last season winning three on the bounce but things have not gone according to plan this term. He ran well at Haydock first time out, but was disappointing at Ascot just before Christmas. He has had a bit of a break since and we trying to get him back on track and if things work out he could go to Cheltenham. We will see what he does next, but he has a lot of ability and I am sure there is more to come. If things were to go right then either the Coral Cup or the Martin Pipe would be options.
Vieux Lion Rouge
11 ch g Sabiango – Indecise
He has been a terrific servant for the yard with 12 wins, but age is not on his side. That said he did win a veterans’ race earlier this season. The plan is to go for the Grand National again if he gets in but it is borderline. He clearly loves the fences there as the last three years have seen him finish sixth, ninth and 15th. He is being freshened up for Aintree which will hopefully be his next run.
Trainer’s pick Ramses De Teillee