Unexposed Glajou looks good to take advantage of drop in class

Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Novices' Limited Handicap Chase | 2m | 4yo+ | SKY

Paul Nicholls, who wouldn’t be the most frequent of visitors to Southwell, has an excellent strike-rate when he does send runners to the Nottinghamshire track and do not be surprised if he returns with a treble from his three raiders, kicking off with Glajou in this 0-125 novices’ limited handicap chase.

The four-year-old shaped well enough on his first venture over fences at Chepstow when fourth to Anemoi after jumping well throughout and he looked the likely winner of that 0-135 contest before the second-last, but his effort rather petered out.

In a return Racing Post Stable Tour, Nicholls commented: "he looked sure to win, but then started to look about a bit. I think at some point he’ll click and win plenty of races."

The application of cheekpieces for the first time should enable him to focus better, and the flatter track might also be in his favour. Races of this nature at Southwell rarely take much winning, and the 11-time champion trainer appears to have found a golden opportunity in a lower-grade race.

Point winner Shanacoole Prince makes his first start over regulation fences and based on his hurdles form he comes strongly into the argument, but those two runs were on far more testing ground than he will encounter this time. He could find a bare two miles round Southwell on decent ground an inadequate stamina test.

Getariver held every chance over hurdles at Fakenham on her latest start before finishing third to Midnights’ Gift, and she reverts to fences on a 2lb lower mark and is unlikely to be far away once again.

What they say

Kim Bailey, trainer of Shanacoole Prince
He's had a good break since his last run and he goes novice chasing having had plenty of experience in point-to-points. I think his form is working out quite well. He ran respectably on his two hurdle starts and we were a bit surprised by that, but they were on soft ground, which is what I think he wants. He's by the same sire as First Flow and he wants soft ground. He'll run well.

Dan Skelton, trainer of Getariver
We're going back over fences and she jumps nicely, while she went back over hurdles for her last two runs only because there wasn't anything perfect for her over fences. She's got a little chance.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Glajou
He ran nicely enough last time at Chepstow and just got in front soon enough and was just a bit green, so I've put some cheekpieces on him. If he runs like he did at Chepstow, he'll go very well.

Jake Coulson, trainer of Mon Port
We've had him for two or three weeks and he's been doing a hell of a lot of schooling at home. He's got the ability but we think this is a stepping stone to something better in the future. He's very straight and fitness will not be an issue whatsoever, but he's had a couple of bad experiences jumping. We're using this a platform to something decent in the spring perhaps and we feel he's still got a big engine.

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