Nicholls and Skelton head-to-head again with Sabrina and Elle Est Beau set to fight it out for title rivals

There are plenty of punters who won’t look beyond Paul Nicholls here. The champion trainer is embroiled in a tussle with Dan Skelton in his bid to make it 15 trainers' championships and Wincanton is one of his playgrounds. Nicholls strikes at 28 per cent at the Somerset course.

He saddles one of the course specialists in the field, Sabrina, who has form figures reading 4123 at the track and maybe one of the reasons is because the final few hurdles are well spaced out. She hasn’t often been a fluent jumper, so isn’t always at her best when the obstacles come up fast and that’s particularly true if they do so in the crucial closing stages.

Sabrina was a good third over course and distance on her last start over Christmas, when she shaped as though she was still on a stiff mark. A 1lb drop in the weights might help and Freddie Gingell is on board again. There isn't any better value for a 5lb allowance than him.

Skelton saddles the likely favourite as he bids to continue to turn the heat up on Nicholls in the title race. Just like Sabrina, the Skelton-trained Elle Est Beau isn’t always fluent at her hurdles and she made mistakes at Sandown last time before falling at the last when in front.

She has been nudged up 2lb in the weights by the handicapper, but would probably have faced a bigger rise had she held on and won last time and this easier jumping test will suit.

Harry Cobden is in a title fight of his own as he bids to see off Sean Bowen to become champion jockey and Nicholls has been backing him all the way. However, with the ride on Sabrina going to Gingell, Cobden has been snapped up by Noel Williams for Royale Dance.

Cobden has never ridden for the Williams stable, but is all out for winners right now and his presence in the saddle on Royale Dance, a lively outsider, might well prove to be significant.
Analysis by Graeme Rodway

Going update

Soft, good to soft in places with the possibility of 4-6mm on Wednesday morning, clearing before racing. There is a chance of further light showers during the afternoon.

What they say

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Sabrina
We've been waiting for better ground to get a prep race in before she goes to Ayr for the race she won last year. She won't want too much rain.

Tom Symonds, trainer of Gaye Legacy
She's improved for going further this season. She's had a fairly busy campaign, which is in the back of my mind, but the weather came in at just the wrong time at Doncaster last time and she's not very big, so she did well to finish fifth. This is the right type of race for her and hopefully she can do us proud again.

Robert Walford, trainer of Chloe's Court
I think she's probably quite badly handicapped. I hope she'll go well but the handicapper has lumped her up a few times and she'll probably struggle.

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