Nicholls team pin Greaneteen Champion Chase hopes on crucial Lambourn gallop

Lambourn will not have a runner in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase this year, but it is set to play a part in the preparation of Greaneteen, who has convinced Paul Nicholls he can outrun his odds of 33-1.

The 13-time champion trainer was left disappointed when the Chris Giles-owned chaser finished third as the 1-2 favourite in Newbury's Game Spirit recently, but is optimistic he can leave that form behind at the Cheltenham Festival having previously won the Haldon Gold Cup and finished second in the Tingle Creek.

"The ground was too fast for him at Newbury and he never let himself down and he never jumped," said the trainer, who is tied with Nicky Henderson and Tom Dreaper on six Champion Chase successes.

"He was far too keen, blew up and then stayed on strongly," he said. "He'll go to Lambourn tomorrow and do a piece of work with Thyme White. Before he ran in the Haldon Gold Cup we had him really ready to win. The other day he wasn't, it was a prep for Cheltenham and he'll have come on a ton for that.

"It would be no surprise to me if he ran really well and finished third or fourth. I'm not saying he's going to win the Champion Chase, but he's capable of running a really tidy race. Cheltenham will suit him better than Newbury and he'll give a good account of himself before he goes to Sandown for the Celebration Chase.

"I think he needs another bit of work. He was well short the other day and it surprised me how short he was. We gave him an easy time after the Tingle Creek and he wants a good bit of work and a nice awayday and the gallops in Lambourn are great."

Hermes Allen: favourite for the Ballymore Novices' HurdleCredit: John Grossick

Nicholls has another big festival bullet to fire on the Wednesday of the festival when Hermes Allen heads to the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle. The six-year-old tops the market at 5-2 after an imperious win in the Grade 1 Challow Novices' Hurdle at Newbury in December.

The trainer said: "He won the Challow on very heavy ground, which I didn't think he wanted, but he was the only horse who had the ability to go through it.

"It turned out to be a very good race and he's got a huge amount of ability. He's working nicely now and he's got a great chance. He'll be a lovely staying chaser and he's very good – I'd say he'll be up there with the best."

The mighty Denman was beaten in the Ballymore and Nicholls said: "He should have won – Ruby [Walsh] apologised after he'd retired and said he should have won, but that's just the way it goes."

Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (March 15)

William Hill: 13-8 Energumene, 15-8 Edwardstone, 6 Editeur Du Gite, 9 Blue Lord, 10 Gentleman De Mee, 25 Nube Negra, 33 Chacun Pour Soi, Greaneteen, 40 bar

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