Bravemansgame in blinkers for Betfair Chase

The 14-time champion trainer is on the hunt for his seventh victory in the race this weekend and hopes that headgear for his nine-year-old might see him win his first race since the King George VI Chase at Kempton two years ago.

Bravemansgame came up short in the Charlie Hall at Wetherby for the second consecutive season three weeks ago.

He also finished second in last year's Betfair Chase and the King George, so Nicholls hopes blinkers could be enough to upgrade his place.

Sam Twiston-Davies will partner Bravemansgame for the first time as Nicholls' stable jockey Harry Cobden is at Ascot, though he is rated as an outsider at the 14/1 mark currently.

“Bryan (Drew) who owns him was quite keen for Sam to ride him, so that’s ideal. Sam has ridden us lots of big winners and it’s good to have him,” he said on a Jockey Club-organised Zoom call on Thursday.

“He’s straightforward to ride and he has blinkers on for the first time. Harry’s thoughts after Wetherby were that some headgear might help him and he’s worked nicely in them and schooled nicely this morning, so we’re hoping that will bring out some improvement in him.”

Silviniaco Conti was sporting first-time cheekpieces when improving from a Charlie Hall Chase defeat when notching his second win, while Nicholls believes blinkers improved See More Business when he claimed Cheltenham Gold Cup glory in 1999.

He added: “It’s quite an open race and I’m just hoping the blinkers bring out some improvement in him. I remember when we put them on See More Business for the first time and he actually won the Gold Cup.

“If they just sharpen up Bravemansgame and improve him a little bit, you never know. I do think he’s quite a generous price.

“He’s no Kauto Star. With all respect to Bravemansgame he’s a good horse, but he’s not in the same league as Kauto. He won four Betfair Chases and like all horses he had a few ups and downs in between and when we got him back right he was good.

“Bravemansgame has been running in all the top races and isn’t getting any younger, but he’s working nicely at home and looks fantastic.

“He’s had some hard races ever since he was second in the (2023) Gold Cup and that was one hell of a hard race. Once you’ve had a few hard races and he’s been at the top table for a long time, life doesn’t get any easier.

“His record speaks for itself and he’s won all those good races, but you could say he’s just a little bit below the top grade.

“There is rain forecast and it doesn’t sound like the ground is going to be too bad, but if it was heavy he definitely won’t run. If it’s good to soft or something like that we’ll be there."