Nicholls’ horse is a punters’ gift at 13-2!

Dandy Nicholls, otherwise know as the ‘sprint king’ has only won the Vodafone Stewards’ Cup once, with Tayseer in 2000, but he has a leading chance of enhancing that record in this year’s renewal at Glorious Goodwood on Saturday.

He is represented by the first two in the betting – Lafi and GIFT HORSE – and preference is for the latter, a progressive sort who has the able assistance of another ‘king’, king Kieren (Fallon) in the saddle, and rates a solid bet at a top-priced 13-2.

Previously trained by James Fanshawe, the five-year-old has proved to be a revelation this season since joining Nicholls’ camp and dropping to sprint distances. He laughed at his rivals on his seasonal reappearance at Doncaster in May when beating Doitnow by four lengths, before finishing a close-up third in what was arguably the hottest handicap sprint this season run at York in May, a race eventually won by subsequent Group Three scorer Soldier’s Tale.

Under Adrian Nicholls, Gift Horse quickened into the lead over a furlong out and was only just run out of it close home, with Fonthill Road just ahead in second, while the likes of Mutawaffer, Eisteddfod and Partners In Jazz were behind.

Fonthill Road will be 3lb better of with Gift Horse this time, but the latter is on the upgrade and can exact revenge this time. Indeed, Gift Horse went onto taste success in  a competitive sprint under Fallon at Epsom’s Derby meeting where he overcame a 5lb rise in the weights to beat the useful yardstick Bahiano in a driving finish.

Although worse off with Fonthill Road, the selection is actually 6lb better off with Eisteddfod who was over 2l behind him in fifth place at York and just 1lb worse off with Partners In Jazz who was nearly four length further back in seventh.

Gift Horse looks a solid proposition and could well go onto better things. He’s a must for your Stewards’ Cup portfolio, but I would also recommend having a saver on MUTAWAFFER because he’s extremely well handicapped at present, acts on easy ground and hails from a yard whose runners always merit respect in this type of handicap, that of Richard Fahey.

Mutawaffer is 9lb better off with Gift Horse compared to when just over a length behind him that York race. I doubt that that pull in the weights will be enough to see him finish in front of Gift Horse, but he could well hit the frame, and the 20-1 offered by The Gaming Club (generally 14’s or 16’s elsewhere) is not to be sniffed at.

He was putting in good late work when over two lengths fifth to La Cucaracha in the valuable Skybet Dash at York last weekend and, with conditions to suit, looks poised to run a big race.

Mecca’s Mate is improving at a rate of knots and demonstrated a decisive turn of foot to mow her rivals down in a five-furlong Listed contest at Ayr latest. She is still ahead of the assessor with a 5lb penalty as she was already due to go up a further 7lb before that Listed victory, for which she’ll probably get another 7lb slapped on.

 My concern is that  six-furlongs on testing ground may blunt her speed, while the going will certainly be against the consistent Peter Paul Rubens.

Betting verdict: 1pt win Gift Horse @ 13-2 (Ladbrokes, VCBET)

0.50pts e/w Mutawaffer @ 20-1 (Ladbrokes)