'He's probably my best chance since Kauto' - Paul Nicholls excited by Gold Cup challenge with Bravemansgame

Paul Nicholls reckons Bravemansgame is his best chance of a record-equalling fifth triumph in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup next month since he slipped a saddle on the phenomenal Kauto Star.

Nicholls yesterday hosted the media at his base in Ditcheat near Wincanton and rattled through what appears a healthy squad for the festival, but his appreciation for Bravemansgame, a general 8-1 to follow See More Business, Kauto Star (twice) and Denman and become a Gold Cup hero for the yard, stood out.

Victory for the King George VI Chase winner would also put Nicholls level with Tom Dreaper as the race's most successful trainer.

The champion trainer said: "I didn't make the same mistake running him between Kempton and Cheltenham like I did last year as he's brilliant fresh and brilliant very fit.

"He's twice the horse he was. He looks great this year, look at him – he looks a picture. Last year he was very light behind and just didn't look right in the spring.

"Even though I took him out of Cheltenham last year he was there and came back almost like he'd had a run and he was over the top when we went to Aintree.

"We learned a few things about him last year and you never stop learning how to train them. I think we've got it right now and the one thing he did at Kempton was stay on. He didn't get the best of passages in the race until turning in, but he stayed on strongly and horses who win King Georges win Gold Cups.

"I think he's one of our best chances of the week. It will be tough – all Gold Cups are – but I think he probably is my best chance since Kauto. We always had little doubts about the track for Clan Des Obeaux and Silviniaco Conti, who were good horses, but couldn't do it.

"I read somewhere that Bravemansgame doesn't act on the track, but he was third in the Ballymore. He was six and ran really nicely behind a horse, who, on the day, was an aeroplane [Bob Olinger]. We ran well that day and he's the finished article now. I can't buy into the fact he doesn't act around Cheltenham – how can you? It was a brilliant run in the Ballymore and I can assure you that when he was six, he wasn't half the horse he is now.

"He's a good jumper who can travel nicely in a race but the horse who stays the best will win. I don't how he'll get up that hill, but no-one knows and that was the same with Kauto Star; we didn't know he'd get three and a quarter miles because he'd been winning over three in the King George, but he did."

Bravemansgame returns to the winner's enclosure after his big-race triumph at KemptonCredit: Edward Whitaker

Nicholls, who trains Bravemansgame for Bryan Drew and John Dance, added: "I think he's in great shape and in a great place, so I think he's got a lovely chance and I'd love to win the Gold Cup again - it's what we all do it for.

"He won a King George this year and Scott [Marshall] is very happy with him. If I had shown you a picture of last year there'd be no comparison – he's a much bigger, stronger horse now.

"He's definitely in the mix. I think he's the best staying chaser in England. He's probably proved that, but now he's got to go and run the biggest race of his life."

The training titan has been without success at the festival since Politologue landed the 2020 Champion Chase.

He said: "I think we'll have 15 or 16 runners and we've a nice team," he said. "I think two years ago I watched the Supreme Novices' down the pub, but we've got a decent squad of horses back together and it's not just about Cheltenham, it's for the years ahead.

"The betting says Hermes Allen might be my best chance in the Ballymore, but I think Bravemansgame has got as good a chance of any of mine, and it's exciting to have a really good horse for the Gold Cup. I've had 46 Cheltenham winners so I can't complain. We've been very lucky with the horses we've had and hopefully we've got some who are good enough to do it again."

Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (3.30, March 17)

bet365: 5-4 Galopin Des Champs, 6 A Plus Tard, 13-2 Stattler, 7 Noble Yeats, 8 Bravemansgame, 10 Conflated, 12 Ahoy Senor, Protektorat, 16 Sounds Russian, 20 bar

Read more . . .

'There's no significant rain on the horizon' - Cheltenham outlook remains dry through festival week 

'He's definitely one of our best chances of the week' - the week's key Cheltenham Festival quotes 

Festival subscription offer | 50% off three months 

Do you want £200+ of free bets for Cheltenham? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.