Minella Study will look to strengthen his Triumph Hurdle credentials at Musselburgh on Saturday, provided conditions underfoot are deemed suitable.
Adam Nicol’s stable star is three from three over hurdles and the form from his last success at Cheltenham in December looks strong, with runner-up Winston Junior then advancing at Ascot and third at home One Horse Town finishing best of the rest behind another bright juvenile in Maestro Conti at Cheltenham last weekend.
Minella Study is a firm favorite for the bet365 Scottish Triumph Hurdle and although Nicol is keen to give him his chance, the Seahouses handler does not want to ruin his chances at Cheltenham by running him in testing conditions.
“Everything seems fine, he seems to be in good condition,” he said.
“I don’t know what the ground will look like in the end. It’s a nice day today, but yesterday was awful, so we’ll just have to keep a close eye on the ground.
“I don’t think any of them would want to have it very soft, especially when it comes to youngsters, because you don’t want them to have a tough race for Cheltenham.
“With horses, a lot can happen in 24 hours, but the plan is to run on Saturday and then we’ll see what happens.”
Should Minella Study bypass his engagement on Saturday, he could be diverted to Haydock or head straight to the Cheltenham Festival, for which he has a 12-1 chance with Coral and Paddy Power.
Nicol added: “There are limited options at this time of year. After this weekend the only race up north for him would be the Victor Ludorum at Haydock, but with the way the weather is going it can be tough ground there and if you missed that then you’ll probably just have to gallop around the racecourse, which isn’t the end of the world – Nicky Henderson does that a lot, doesn’t he?
“I think the handicapper has bumped him up another 1lb to 139 because his form has taken a boost since he won at Cheltenham, so he has a hellish rating for a youngster.
“I’m quite realistic about it. It’s going to be very difficult to go there (Cheltenham Festival) and win, but if you look at his profile he hasn’t done much wrong so far.”
On Saturday the trainer also plans to saddle Wise Eagle in the bet365 Scottish County Handicap Hurdle, while recent Kelso scorer Speiriuil will be in action on Sunday.
“We’re bringing Wise Eagle back to two miles because he just went over two and a half miles with the choke last time at Musselburgh,” Nicol said.
“He’s lost 2lb since then and I think Josh Thompson will let him ride him and claim 5lb, so he’ll be 7lb better off since his last run and I think two miles will suit him better to be honest.
“Speiriuil won last time at Kelso and will appreciate the step back to two and a half. The horses are running well, our last two runners have won, so hopefully we get a bit of luck.”
#Nicol #Musselburgh #weather #watch #Minella #Study #Races