Paul Nicholls is heading to this year’s Cheltenham Festival with a streamlined squad featuring novice chase hopes Ginny’s Destiny and Stay Away Fay.
The champion trainer might only send a dozen horses into battle against the Irish juggernauts of Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott, but Ginny’s Destiny currently heads the ante-post markets for the Turners Novices’ Chase and Stay Away Fay is prominent in the betting for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
Unbeaten in his last three starts over fences at Prestbury Park, Nicholls admits to being surprised at just how much Ginny’s Destiny has progressed.
“He’s probably one of the most improved horses in training, arguably. He’s won his last three, all at Cheltenham, and he was very good on Festival Trials day,” he said.
“I think he’s almost favourite for the Turners, he loves Cheltenham, he’s made all in his last three, he stays well and would probably stay three miles but we haven’t gone that far yet.
“What I like about him is he’s a solid horse, he jumps well, he goes a good gallop and keeps galloping, he’s a smart animal.
“It’s always hard to pick out your best chance but he has to be one of them because he’s so solid and I think he’s still improving.
“I’d say he’s every bit as good as Stage Star [winner of the Turners last year] and I think he’s rated higher than he was going into the race last year.
“Dan [Skelton] is adamant his horse [Grey Dawning] would have beaten him the first day at Cheltenham without the mistake but I’m not convinced, and jumping is the name of the game. His form has worked out and he keeps on improving.
Stay Away Fay wins at Sandown on Friday under Harry Cobden
“Willie has said Fact To File goes for the other race, but we were either taking him on with this lad or Stay Away Fay so it made no difference to us.”
Stay Away Fay already has a Festival win to his name in last season’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and while he lost his unbeaten record over fences against his elders in the Cotswold Chase, Nicholls felt he enhanced his reputation.
“He’s had a good season. He won the Albert Bartlett last season having been beaten at Doncaster the time before and improved enormously from that run. I’m hoping we can do the same again from when he ran on Trials day,” said Nicholls.
“He won first time out at Exeter, he won very well at Sandown and then ran a good race in the Cotswold Chase in a muddling race which turned into a sprint – at the weights he ran well, so we were pleased with that.
“I’d have preferred the Brown Advisory to be on the New Course, the stiffer track as he’s all about stamina and that experience won’t be lost on him, he’ll improve an awful lot.
“Running in the Cotswold did him no harm at all. I could have run him in a novice chase and won easily but learned nothing about him, so it will stand him in good stead. It was all about experience, we never went into it thinking he’d win, just thinking he’d run well.
“He’ll take on Fact To File and plenty of other good ones but you expect that at Cheltenham. He’s all about stamina, he’ll keep on learning and he’s in good shape at the moment.”