Champion Nicholls eyes more success with Five Dream

Feb 5 2008 by Chris Wright, Liverpool Daily Post

CHAMPION trainer Paul Nicholls is looking to bag another Saturday’s big-race success this weekend with favourite Five Dream in the totesport Trophy at Newbury.

The bookmakers could be running for cover with Five Dream currently a 9-2 chance with totesport, Stan James, bet365, BetDirect and Better.

Despite being a four-year-old he has won his last starts impressively at Sandown and Cheltenham.

He was among the 33 entries for the Grade Three extended two-mile contest. And if top-weight Punjabi is declared, he would only have to carry just 10st7lb.

His trainer is delighted with the former French gelding.

Nicholls said: “There is no real worry about the ground for him, he just wouldn’t want it fast. It isn’t going to be fast though. It was wet last night and it will rain tonight. He won on good to soft at Cheltenham last time and that would be ideal. He’s improving all the time, I’m very happy to run him and I’m looking forward to it.”

Trainer John Quinn will be looking to provide another upset with Kings Quay.

Quinn’s Leslingtaylor beat odds-on favourite Tidal Bay at Doncaster at the weekend and the Yorkshire handler thinks that Kings Quay, who runs in the same colours, can do something similar.

The six-year-old Montjeu horse, who is 25-1 with Ladbrokes for Saturday’s race, won the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton, before finding Hardy Eustace and company too good at Ascot in November.

But Quinn said: “He’s been a good money spinner for us. I upped him in trip and in class last time at Ascot and he got found out. He’s a two-miler through and through and the better the ground the better.

“I’ve confirmed him but if the ground came up heavy he wouldn’t run. He’ll be in races like the Imperial Cup, the County Hurdle, the Scottish Champion Hurdle and the Swinton, they are the sort of races we’ll aim at. The heavy ground blunts his speed, he’s not a heavy ground winter horse, he’s a late summer, spring type horse.”

Quinn, meanwhile, confirmed Leslingtaylor to be on course for the Arkle Chase at Cheltenham for which he is a 14-1 chance. He said: “If the ground really dried and it was real good ground at Cheltenham it would really suit him. He won’t run again beforehand.”