3 minute read
Paul Nicholls expects Grade One winner Dynamite Dollars to take a significant step forward from his eagerly-awaited comeback at Newbury on Saturday.
The Michael Geoghegan-owned seven-year-old will make his first start in over a year in the Grade Two Win Bigger On The Betfair Exchange Chase, better known as the Game Spirit.
Although Nicholls reports Dynamite Dollars - who has not been sighted since sustaining an injury during his build up towards last year's Arkle Trophy - to be back on track, he has warned he is unlikely to be at the peak of his powers just yet.
Nicholls said: "I think the plan is to go for the Game Spirit. He has been fine, but he will need the run.
"He had a gallop around Wincanton on Friday. We just wanted to give him a day out really, it wasn't a searching gallop or anything like that, but he had a sweat and enjoyed it.
"That (Newbury) will tell us whether we go for the Champion Chase or whether we go up in trip to two and a half miles, which I suspect will be the case."
The Ditcheat handler plans to use the Listed William Hill Leading Racecourse Bookmaker Premier Chase at Kelso later this month as a prep race for Taunton scorer Yala Enki ahead of the Randox Health Grand National.
He said: "He won't go to the Eider Chase and if I decide to run him before the Grand National it will be something like the race at Kelso at the end of the month.
"He was brilliant at Taunton. It was quick enough after the hard race in the Welsh National. I want to go to Aintree with him if the owner is happy and we have to plan back from that.
"I think he could be a great horse to go to Aintree with."
Truckers Lodge will attempt to go one better than in the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow when he takes his chance in the Grand National Trial Handicap Chase at Haydock on Saturday week.
Nicholls said: "He will probably go to the Grand National Trial at Haydock as he will love the ground up there.
"It was a tough race at Chepstow, but he has had a nice little break and will be fine. He has got over that well and has been working great and looks in good shape."