Paul Nicholls has played down concerns about rising opposition in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle, insisting his stable star No Drama This End is in excellent shape as preparations continue for the Cheltenham Festival.
Recent trials at Cheltenham and the Dublin Racing Festival have highlighted a growing list of contenders for the Grade 1 contest, with Doctor Steinberg emerging as a notable challenger following an impressive performance at Leopardstown.
Speaking in comments released by Betfair, Nicholls acknowledged the depth of the race but remained upbeat about his own horse’s condition.
“Doctor Steinberg was impressive last week at Leopardstown,” said Nicholls. “No Drama This End is in great shape. A race would not do him any harm, but we don’t need to do that – he will have a couple of away days. He looks great.”
Nicholls confirmed there are no plans to squeeze in a prep run before Cheltenham, despite joking about a possible outing at Ascot. Instead, the focus remains firmly on keeping No Drama This End fresh and thriving.
“He worked well this morning, and of course it’s going to be competitive – it always is at Cheltenham,” he added.
Stable Firing At The Right Time
The Ditcheat handler also revealed his horses are currently operating at a 37 per cent strike rate over the past fortnight, something he attributes to his long-standing approach of easing horses through the winter before peaking late in the season.
“We always come good at this time of year,” he explained. “We give them a bit of a break, do their flu jabs, and have them ready from February onwards.”
Nicholls admitted the yard endured a frustrating autumn, with illness affecting several horses, but believes those issues are now firmly behind them.
“Ours are in good shape at the moment, and long may it continue.”
He concluded.
