Trainer to follow: Why Paul Nicholls is the one to watch in the coming week 🔎

The Jumps season is about to kick off in earnest, with the unofficial curtain raiser at Chepstow set to take place on Friday and Saturday. Champion trainer Paul Nicholls would have been counting down the days and he’ll be hoping to make a flying start. Chepstow’s two-day meeting is Nicholls’ first target of the season and he’ll undoubtedly unleash plenty of nice horses. Nicholls has some entries at Ludlow and Worcester earlier in the week and they are also worth looking out for. Check out our free tips page for daily content across British and Irish racing.

Highlight of the week

The Grade 2 Persian War Novices’ Hurdle takes place at Chepstow on Friday, a race which Nicholls has won three times in the last 10 years. Stable jockey Harry Cobden is already down to ride potential hurdling debutant Captain Teague in the race this year. This is a particularly exciting one as he was the best of the British in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham in March, finishing third behind A Dream To Share. It’s a bold move to throw him straight into a Grade 2 but it’s also a huge vote of confidence.

Horses to look out for

Nicholls has three entries in the bumper at Worcester on Thursday and the most intriguing of the three is Bond Broker. He won his sole point before being sold to Nicholls for £80,000 in February. The Ditcheat handler has been a trainer to look out for in bumpers over the last couple of seasons and that trend is likely to continue.

Panjari was a Listed winner on the Flat in both Germany and Italy at up to 1m4f. This makes him an interesting proposition for novice hurdles and he could make his debut over timber at Chepstow on Friday.

Outlaw Peter won on chase and seasonal debut at Newton Abbot last month and there will be plenty of improvement to come. He could make an appearance at Chepstow on Friday and may well prove hard to beat if lining up.

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