3 minute read

Paul Nicholls looks to hold a strong hand in the novice chase division at the Cheltenham festival this season courtesy of both Ginny's Destiny and Stay Away Fay.

A winner of three of his four outings over fences to date, Ginny's Destiny hasn't looked back since being well beaten on his chasing debut at Cheltenham last October, winning all three subsequent starts at the same venue – including when a ready winner of the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase off a mark of 147 on Trials Day in January.

A succeeding 8lb rise in the handicap will see the progressive eight-year-old head into his likely target, the Grade 1 Turners Novices' Chase, with an attractive profile to many, especially as Willie Mullins announced current market leader Fact To File will head to the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase.

However, the apparent improvement from Ginny's Destiny wasn't always forthcoming from the champion trainer.

"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," said Nicholls.

"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.

"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."

With Ginny's Destiny set to remain over two and a half miles, Stay Away Fay will be the horse entrusted with tackling Willie Mullins' Fact To File in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase.

Stay Away Fay already has one Cheltenham festival success on his CV having landed the Albert Bartlett last season, and although one of Britain's leading contenders lost his unbeaten chase record when third in the Cotswold Chase last month, Nicholls believes there were plenty of positives to take from the run from the son of Shantou, who was stepping into open company for the first time that day.

"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 the champion trainer.

"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."