The combination of Paul Nicholls and Harry Derham teamed up to provide us with a nice winner in Saphir Du Rheu two weeks ago and could be worth following at Doncaster on Saturday. Derham is a very capable rider and claims a useful 5lbs off the Nicholls runner in the featured Sky Bet Chase.
Unioniste is a typical French import in that he jumped like an old hand from the moment he joined Nicholls. He landed a significant gamble for the stable when he won the December Gold Cup in desperate ground in 2012 with Derham riding a confident race. The going is currently described as soft but there is plenty of rain around and conditions are bound to be testing.
Unioniste made a satisfactory start to his season when a fair third at Wetherby, especially as many of the Nicholls horses were in need of their first run. He then won at Aintree where his jumping improved when given a clear sight of his fences. He was then pitched in at the deep end in the Lexus Chase and ran well before being outpaced as the runners headed for home.
That defeat suggests that a Gold Cup entry is rather ambitious but he is a smart chaser in this grade and this does not look a particularly strong field. Roberto Goldback has become very frustrating since winning well on his first start for Henderson and the Grand National winner Aurora’s Encore will surely do well to get close to Unioniste in receipt of just 2lbs after Derham’s claim.
The two horses that catch my eye as possible dangers are Donald McCain’s Kruzhlinin and Keith Reveley’s Night In Milan. Both won well last time and appear fairly treated by the handicapper. Kruzhlinin has won twice at Kelso and has gone up just 6lbs for his latest triumph. I just prefer him as an each-way alternative because he will probably handle the ground better than Night In Milan.
I was not convinced that Night In Milan’s race here was the greatest handicap of the season, although Mart Lane came out and won next time. The handicapper has given him a hefty 10lbs hike for that, a win achieved in first time blinkers. That means that Night In Milan meets him on the same terms as when thrashing him here previously.
Gullinbursti is tough and consistent but I can’t help thinking is too close to Unioniste in the handicap. He will probably run his usual game race but may struggle for a turn of foot in the closing stages. Time For Rupert was fifth in the 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup but has only been on the track twice since.
Unioniste at 5-1 BetVictor
Kruzhlinin at 9-1 BetVictor
