Nicholls edges to Cheltenham Festival with Bravemansgame and 'wouldn't swap him'

Bravemansgame is now likely to run at the Cheltenham Festival, according to trainer Paul Nicholls, who insists he "wouldn't swap" the two-time Grade 1 winner for any of his possible rivals in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase.

The seven-year-old extended his unbeaten run over fences to three with a comfortable dismissal of Ahoy Senor in the Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton over Christmas.

Nicholls had warned shortly after the race that he may not feature at the festival, but a trip to Cheltenham in March looks to be the plan at this stage.

Bravemansgame, owned by John Dance and Bryan Drew, is no bigger than 4-1 for the Brown Advisory, but Galopin Des Champs jumped into 6-4 favouritism following a staggering chasing debut at Leopardstown recently. Nicholls, however, is up for the challenge.

Kauto Star Novices' Chase report: Shades of Denman says Nicholls as 'mighty' Bravemansgame storms to victory

"He's all fine, he's A1," the champion trainer said on Sunday. "I still need to sit down and have a discussion with the lads but I think that's probably where we'll head off to.

"It's not in set in stone, he'll be entered in the two races at two and a half [Turners] and three miles [Brown Advisory]. We'll almost likely run over three miles unless it's very, very testing. That's sort of where we're heading.

"He's unbeaten over fences, he's won his second Grade 1 now, jumps well and has got the right profile. It's a hot division as it always is and is always expected to be, but we wouldn't swap him for anything. That's how we see it, but it's a long way off and a lot can happen before then."

Nicholls has drawn comparisons between Bravemansgame and his 2008 Gold Cup hero Denman in the past, and he could follow a similar route to Cheltenham by heading for a prep run at Newbury on February 12.

That card's 2m7½f novice handicap chase is one potential option and the trainer added: "I'm just going to think about it. I'd have loved to go to Newbury for the novice chase on Betfair Hurdle day but it's been made into a novice handicap chase. It's a possible I suppose and there are other options, but we haven't made our mind up yet.

"A lot of our horses will be having their flu jabs now, then have an easy few weeks, so we can think about plans towards the middle of January."

Stage Star: shone at Newbury in the ChallowCredit: Edward Whitaker

The Owners Group's Stage Star was another of the Nicholls battalion to shine over the festive period, and Cheltenham's Ballymore Novices' Hurdle remains the target for the convincing Challow winner.

"He'll have an entry in the Supreme and the Ballymore," Nicholls said.

"He'd only go to the Supreme if it was very testing, he's a two-and-a-half-mile horse. I haven't discussed whether we go straight there or not."

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