3 minute read

Paul Nicholls has announced that star novice chaser Knappers Hill could miss the remainder of the season due to a setback.

The gelding commenced his novice chasing campaign with a good second behind Unexpected Party at Chepstow and followed up with an easy victory in the Grade 2 Boodles Rising Stars Novices' Chase at Wincanton in early November. A Graded winner over hurdles, Knappers Hill was being targeted at the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices' Chase, held at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.

In an interview on Racing TV's Luck On Sunday, Nicholls said: "I was going to run Knappers Hill in the Kauto Star, but sadly he's had a little setback and we might end up missing the rest of the season with him.

"It's only minor, but I see him possibly as a horse who could run in the King George next season, so I think we need to stop and get him right.

"I'm going to reroute Hermes Allen to the Kauto Star now rather than go to Ascot this week, because I'd love to run him in a Grade One, especially over three miles.

"You play your cards and try to keep them all apart and then something like this happens, so Hermes will almost certainly go to Kempton on Boxing Day."

Hermes Allen is one-from-one over fences after an impressive victory in the Grade 2 John Francome Novices' Chase at Newbury on 1 December.