Tag Archive for: Adrian Nicholls

Cheveley Park bid not out of the question for Maw Lam

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Adrian Nicholls will consider a quick return to action in the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes with Maw Lam following her narrow defeat at Ayr on Saturday.

Third in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, the daughter of Acclamation disappointed in the Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster, but bounced back with a fine effort in defeat in Scotland, charging home to finish a neck second to Sky Majesty in the Group Three Firth of Clyde Stakes.

With the season drawing to a close, options for Maw Lam are few and far between, but she does hold an entry at Group One level on the Rowley Mile on Saturday, should connections decide to roll the dice.

“It was a really good run and I’m really pleased with her. Obviously it was a blip on her CV at Doncaster, but it was just one of those things and we’re right back on track,” said Nicholls.

“Jamie Spencer looked after her at Doncaster, hence why we could back her up and it was a great run. It’s always frustrating finishing second, but every race those good horses run in are so competitive and I’m just happy that she’s come back on track and seen the six furlongs out really well.

“She’s got more black type, and I am going to win a stakes race in this country sooner or later!”

He added: “We’re coming to the end of the year now so whether we have one more go, I’m not sure. I haven’t discussed it with Chris (Hirst, owner) yet, but obviously she’s still in the Cheveley Park.

“I don’t know what the ground is going to be like, it’s very changeable at the moment. She wouldn’t want gut-wrenching ground, I don’t think.

“We’ll see how she is and discuss whether we go to the Cheveley Park, if not that could probably be it for the season.”



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Maw Lam ready to confirm Queen Mary promise at Newmarket

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Adrian Nicholls is confident Maw Law can handle the step up in trip in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.

The daughter of Acclamation was a creditable third behind Leovanni at 50-1 in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot over five furlongs and she is all set to tackle six furlongs for the first time at HQ.

Maw Lam launched her juvenile career with victory in May at Thirsk despite a sluggish start and she was again slowly away in the Hilary Needler at Beverley but she led into the final stages before being headed by Perfect Part.

She then stepped up to Group Two company at the Royal meeting when again her tendency to break slowly was evident but she still ran a big race to get some black type alongside her name.

And now she will try her luck over a longer distance at Newmarket.

Nicholls said: “It’s looking like she’ll take her chance (in the Duchess of Cambridge). Obviously nothing will be fully decided until Wednesday morning but she’s in there and I’m hoping she’ll go there.

“She’s come out of Ascot very well. Obviously we’re stepping up in trip but she was doing her strongest work going through the line it looked at Ascot.

“I think the six will be no problem to her. If for whatever reason she doesn’t stay we’ve always got the option to come back but it looks like the right opportunity to see. I think the trip should be fine.”

The Lowther Stakes during the Ebor Festival is also a target, while she also holds entries in valuable sales races at York and Doncaster later in the season.

Nicholls added: “Obviously she’s is in the sales races. She’ll get a Lowther entry and then obviously I’ll have to discuss it with (owner) Chris Hirst and see how we get on.

“The sales races are worth a lot of money and there is the lure of black type but obviously you need to be placed to get it.

“That’s his (Hirst’s) long-term plan. He’s already got some already but you want to try and get as much as you can on the way as you go.”



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Nicholls eyeing six-furlong switch for Maw Lam

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Adrian Nicholls knew he had a smart filly on his hands in the shape of Maw Lam and despite her being sent off at 50-1 in the Queen Mary, she justified his confidence with a fast-finishing third.

Had she hit top gear earlier under Hollie Doyle, the daughter of Acclamation may well have troubled the impressive winner Leovanni.

Given how well she finished her race, Nicholls is considering options over six furlongs as well as five, but as yet nothing is set in stone.

“We’ve got a few options going forward,” he said.

“She’ll probably get put in the second stage of the Prix Robert Papin, the Cherry Hinton could be on the cards also. Any five or six-furlong race from Listed upwards will be in the mix, I’ll have to talk to Chris Hirst (owner) about it.

“She ran a really good race and she is obviously a very talented filly but there isn’t a very good programme after Ascot for five-furlong two-year-olds, so we might have to step her up to six – I think she’ll stay though.

“The Molecomb is an option but with Goodwood being speed orientated, it might take her off her feet. Hollie did say it wasn’t as if she missed the break, though, she was just slow into her stride, but you can’t do that at Goodwood.

“That’s my job to do some work around the stalls, but over six it won’t be so much of an issue.

“It would be nice to win a Listed race before moving back up but she’s in the sales race at York, which is a big pot. Chris is building his own team of broodmares and as she’s got the black type, it’s not like he’s trying to promote her to sell her, so that’s an option.”

Nicholls went on: “I think she’s the best juvenile we’ve had, the good horses we’ve had have developed later on. We had Mamba Wamba and then Mo Celita came along, but she’s the best juvenile we’ve had. Normally our horses progress.

“She could have been second at Ascot, with a bit of luck she’d have won the Hilary Needler, so she’s going the right way. You need the rub of the green and hopefully she’ll get it somewhere this year.

“Tony Hamilton does a lot of work with her and he told us in February that she was a bit special.”



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Ladies Church seeking Sole Power success for Murtagh

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Ladies Church can book her ticket to Royal Ascot when she lines up in the Sole Power Sprint Stakes at Naas on Sunday.

A high-class cast of sprinters have assembled for this five-furlong contest and Johnny Murtagh’s filly brings track-and-trip form to the table as she bids to continue her rise up the sprinting ranks.

Last seen in the Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night, she secured Group Two honours when accounting for the reopposing Mooneista in the Sapphire Stakes last term, and her handler is eyeing the King’s Stand Stakes at the big meeting for the speedy daughter of Churchill.

Murtagh said: “We were happy with her first run back in Meydan when she finished second and she probably ran better than her finishing position on World Cup night. So with the ground drying up – she wants good, fast ground – the drier the better the chance she will have and everything leads to the King’s Stand.

“It is always tough for three-year-olds and she’s a year older now. We’re really happy with her and looking forward to her.”

Another aiming for Ascot is Ken Condon’s Moss Tucker, who built on his reappearance to claim the scalp of Tenebrism over course and distance last month.

“He came forward from his first run of the year and we were delighted with him the last day,” said Condon.

“It will be contrasting ground this time but he has shown in the past, albeit in handicap and conditions company, that most ground is all right for him. He’s particularly effective when it is soft, but I don’t think the ground will be an issue.

Connections have plenty smile about with Moss Tucker
Connections have plenty smile about with Moss Tucker (PA)

“He has obviously won at Naas and that is encouraging when you go back to these places and he’s been in good form since. It’s a competitive heat, as you would expect, but he seems to be still improving which is the nice thing about him.

“He will go for the King’s Stand and he ran very well in the Prix de l’Abbaye last year – he just made a bit of a tardy start, so he did very well to run as well as he did. I think that would be on the agenda as well if he remains in good shape.

“He didn’t run at two so it’s only his third season racing. He certainly looked in the second half of last season that he was on the improve and hopefully we can find a bit more improvement from him.”

There is British interest in the form of Robert Cowell’s Arecibo and Adrian Nicholls’ Tees Spirit, with the latter looking to add to the Abergwaun Stakes he secured on his travels last term.

“They are never easy races, but you’ve got to start somewhere in these Pattern races,” said Nicholls.

“I know the track well from when I was riding and I think it will suit him. There’s a couple of nice ones in there and he carries a penalty like Moss Tucker, but it’s a nice starting point and we’ll find out where we are.

“He’s in really good form and I think he’s improved again this year again. I’m looking forward to seeing him out on the track, the horses are running well so I don’t see why he won’t.

“He has a little pony called Scooby who travels over with him and he doesn’t mind travelling. The Irish look after us well. It’s not easy, but it’s a nice starting point and we can see where we go from here.”

Also on a raiding mission is Ziggy’s Dream who runs for Alice Haynes in the Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint Stakes on the back of a fine second in an above-average renewal of the Lily Agnes at Chester last week.

This Group Three was won by Meditate last year before going on to land the Albany Stakes, and Haynes sees this step up to six furlongs as the perfect chance for Ziggy’s Dream to to test the waters at this level before she potentially makes her own appearance at the summer showpiece.

“She came out of Chester very well,” said Haynes. “She didn’t really have a race early on after missing the break and then finished like a trooper.

“The step up to six furlongs on better ground will suit and drawn 13 straight down the rail is ideal. We go there hopeful.

“The winner of this last year went on to win at Royal Ascot and I’m sure if she wins then she will be near enough favourite if she goes for the Albany.

“This is the first really nice horse we’ve had for Middleham Park, who are keen supporters and even though there are a couple of unexposed ones in there, she definitely deserves to be there.”

Shartash was a regular in the top two-year-old events last season and with the decision made to stick to sprinting distances for the time being, is out to get his Commonwealth Cup ticket stamped in the Group Three Goffs Lacken Stakes.

Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival – Day Two – Curragh Racecourse
Shartash ridden by jockey Ben Coen (left) wins the Gain Railway Stakes (Niall Carson/PA)

“We think he is a sprinter,” said Murtagh. “We were a bit disappointed with his first run back at Navan, but the ground was very soft. Ben (Coen) said he never got going – he jumped sluggish and never got into the race.

“We’re looking forward to a much improved performance and the ground should be ideal for him. Six furlongs at Naas, I think he’ll get up the hill well.

“I think six is a good trip for him and maybe later in the year he will be able to step up to seven. But we’re going to see how he goes over six first.”

Connections also hold strong claims in the Owenstown Stud Stakes where Sharlouk steps up to Listed class having shed his maiden tag in style at Leopardstown two weeks ago.

Murtagh added: “I think he deserves to step up. He ran well on his penultimate start and perhaps didn’t stay the mile on heavy ground and then broke his maiden well last time.

“It’s a big step up and looks a very competitive race, but we want to see how good he is and he should be well tested.”



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