Champion trainer Paul Nicholls admits he might not have any runners in Cheltenham feature races: 'I'm not losing sleep over it'
- Paul Nicholls is in poll position to land his 11th Champion trainer title
- Whilst he had had plenty of winners he doesn't have the big names of the past
- Now the trainer says he might not have an entrant in Cheltenham's big four races
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls has admitted he might not have any runners in the four feature races at the Cheltenham Festival next month.
Nicholls is in pole position to land his 11th title and leads closest pursuer Colin Tizzard by over £300,000.
But, while the winners have still flowed, the gaps left by stars like Denman, Kauto Star, Master Minded and Neptune Collonges have still not been filled.
![Paul Nicholls has admitted he might not have any runners in Cheltenham's four feature races](http://web.archive.org./web/20171127223954/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/02/07/14/3CEC86F200000578-0-image-a-42_1486477296479.jpg)
Paul Nicholls has admitted he might not have any runners in Cheltenham's four feature races
Nicholls has not got an entry in the Champion Hurdle while Silviniaco Conti, his dual King George VI Chase winner, will by-pass the Gold Cup and not run again until Aintree's Grand National meeting in April.
Dodging Bullets, Nicholls' 2015 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner who runs at Newbury on Saturday, has lost his form and is more likely to head down the Festival handicap route with a start in the Grand Annual Chase.
Nicholls has both Ptit Zig and Zarkandar in the Stayers' Hurdle but both have been well beaten this year by ante-post favourite Unoknowhatimeanharry and the trainer yesterday said there was no point running horses at the meeting if they had not got a chance, especially if they can mop up prizemoney elsewhere.
Nicholls said: 'We have not got too many to run in the better grade one races but we will have lot of racing left through March and April.
![Politologue is one of the horses Nicholls is hoping will be a standard bearer of the future](http://web.archive.org./web/20171127223954/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/02/07/14/3CED07DA00000578-4199968-image-a-50_1486477552957.jpg)
Politologue is one of the horses Nicholls is hoping will be a standard bearer of the future
'It's possible we might not have any runners (in the big four Festival races) but I am not losing any sleep over it. If you have not got anything good enough at that point in time there is no point trying to invent something.'
Politologue is one of the horses Nicholls is hoping will be a standard bearer of the future for his Somerset stable. The grey is due to run at Warwick on Saturday before a shot at the JLT Novices' Chase.
Nicholls rates Politologue one of his best Festival chances along with fellow novice Arpege D'Alene, who will run in the Reynoldstown Novices' Chase at Ascot on Saturday week before a shot at the four-mile National Hunt Chase.
Nicholls, who has had 114 wins this season and believes his best ever seasonal total of 155 in the 2008/9 seasonal is possible, has a chance to extend his title race lead on Saturday when he runs both JP McManus-owned novice Movewiththetimes, likely mount of Barry Geraghty, and Zubayr (Nick Scholfield) in Newbury's £155,000 Betfair Hurdle.
With last season's threat for his title from Ireland's champion trainer Willie Mullins failing to materialise again after his problems, Nicholls sees the biggest threat to his title coming from Nicky Henderson not Tizzard
The Lambourn trainer will run his outstanding novice Altior against Dodging Bullets in the Betfair Exchange Chase on Saturday when Nicholls feels we will see the Gold Cup winner run in the Denman Chase, Tizzard-trained Native River.
Nicholls feels he will beat stablemate and favourite Thistlecrack.
Most watched Sport videos
- Man City's Bernardo Silva gets thrown in the pool by team-mates
- Mourinho admits side didn't play well but praises tough Brighton
- Guardiola praises side after 'deserved' win at Huddersfield
- 'I've got the heaviest head': Bancroft talks Bairstow's headbutt
- Arsene Wenger speaks after hard fought 1-0 win over Burnley
- Everton boss David Unsworth reacts to heavy 4-1 loss to Southampton
- Golden Boot: Which Premier League player is leading the race?
- Burnley manager Sean Dyche reacts to late loss to Arsenal
- Wagner: 'We can take plenty positives from our performance'
- Jurgen Klopp fumes at referee Oliver after 1-1 Chelsea draw
- Netflix documentary shows Grigory Rodchenkov on day of resignation
- Conte 'very happy' with side's fighting spirit in 1-1 draw
-
Astonishing row shames talkSPORT as Joey Barton and Mike...
-
Borussia Dortmund ready to cut losses with Pierre-Emerick...
-
Liverpool stars and their WAGs attend the James Milner...
-
From Pep Guardiola's pep talks and shooting sessions with...
-
Chelsea's January wishlist: Antonio Conte targets Mouctar...
-
Liverpool stars disguise themselves in club shop but...
-
Romelu Lukaku faces no action from after footage emerged...
-
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is finally honoured...
-
Luis Suarez is suffering more than anyone from Neymar's...
-
Michael Emenalo joins Monaco as sporting director just 21...
-
Mohamed Salah is Chelsea's 20th ex-player to score...
-
Premier League basement battle: What's gone wrong at the...
-
Cameron Bancroft describes Jonny Bairstow's headbutt as...
-
Barcelona targeting January swoop for Tottenham star-man...
-
Shkodran Mustafi is quietly emerging as Arsenal’s key...
-
AC Milan sack Vincenzo Montella and appoint Gennaro...
-
Manchester United players wrap up warm as they train...
-
Manchester United arrive at Stockport Station ahead of...