Woolcombe Folly out of Game Spirit Chase

What A Friend

The battle between Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson is becoming the subtext to this jumps season.

Henderson has become the man most likely to challenge the hegemony that Nicholls has exercised over the trainers' championship and the pair meet head-on in the Grade Two Aon Chase at Newbury.

What A Friend, who is part-owned by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, will be trying to secure his place in the Nicholls team for next month's totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup but faces six rivals in this race who are led by the Henderson-trained Riverside Theatre, who was runner-up to stable companion Long Run in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park last month.

What A Friend, who won two Grade One races at both Leopardstown and Aintree last season, finished only fifth to Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November, which has been his only race of this season, and Nicholls has taken the patient approach with the eight-year-old . "He likes to be fresh - wouldn't want too much rain because the better the ground, the better it'll suit him. He's got a bit to do [on the official ratings] with Riverside Theatre but he's gone up a lot for finishing second in a hard race in the King George - that might just give us a bit of an advantage that we're fresh.

"He should run a big race - if he's going to run in the Gold Cup he has to run a big race."

Stable companion Noland looked thoroughly out of love with the game when he was pulled up at Cheltenham two weeks ago but Nicholls believes that he could still be a force to be reckoned with. "I was actually pleased with him schooling yesterday morning; very quick and enthusiastic. I just think at Cheltenham, that two-mile-five start, if they go quick and you get out of rhythm over the three fences your race is over and that happened.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he bounced back tomorrow."

Nicholls will be attempting a fourth victory in the race in five years and also the double that he achieved by also winning Grade Two totepool Game Spirit Chase last season.

This time he runs Tchico Polos having had to scratch his principal hope, Woolcombe Folly. The eight-year-old has developed into a contender for the sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase, having won his last three starts, and would have been the market leader for the Games Spirit but Nicholls elected to withdraw him on health grounds.

Nicholls, writing on betfair.com, said: "Unfortunately, I have had to withdraw Woolcombe Folly from tomorrow's Game Spirit Chase at Newbury. He gave a couple of coughs yesterday morning, so I got the vet in to scope him after he worked this morning."

"It came back as a bad scope, so I have withdrawn him on vet's advice. I maybe could have run him tomorrow, but that would have compromised his chances in the Champion Chase and that's his number one priority."

"So we are erring on the side of caution, and we will do everything we can to get him right for Cheltenham."

Finian's Rainbow has been getting it right on the racecourse, with two wins over fences in his two starts, and the Henderson horse sends his Irish Independent Arkle Trophy contender to Warwick for the Grade Two Bet On totescoop6 On Kingmaker Novices' Chase at Warwick.

The promising eight-year-old faces just three rivals in a race won 12 months by his stable companion Long Run.

Paul Wheeler

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