PAUL NICHOLLS IS STILL AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME

Trainer Paul Nicholls is pulling out big names for Sandown's Tingle Creek Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

With wonder horses Kauto Star and Denman now retired, stablemates of the two racing legends have been passed the baton that will take them to glory.

Sanctuaire, the highest rated novice chaser Nicholls has ever trained and remains unbeaten in all three starts over fences, will feature in the Tingle Creek Chase on Saturday December 8.

But despite his success he faces a tough test in his reappearance on the track with unbeaten second-season chaser Sprinter Sacre.

The Tingle Creek attracts the best two mile steeple chasers in the country and often acts as a springboard for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Kauto Star is also to make a special appearance at Sandown Park next weekend.

But things haven't stopped there for the trainer. Silviniaco Conti is joint-favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.

The six-year-old ridden by top jockey Ruby Walsh is now 5-1jf for racing's biggest event after winning by two-and-a-half-lengths in Haydock's Betfair Chase to make it two wins from a total of two starts this season.

On the day a statue of Kauto Star was unveiled at Haydock, where he won the Betfair Chase four times, it was great to see Silviniaco Conti emerge as a possible superstar.

So Paul Nicholls shows no sign of slowing down and it is wonderful to watch more of his high-rated horses come into racing's spotlight.

Sanctuaire and Silviniaco Conti are just two examples of Nicholls' tremendous work he does for the sport and I have no doubt that the trainer can keep on creating winners in all the years he will remain in racing.

Latest Odds for Queen Mother Champion Chase 2012

Sizing Europe and Big Zeb lead the way for this Chase for the Cheltenham Festival.

Colm Murphy's horse is currently at 5/1 and Henry de Bromhead's Tingle Creek champion leads at 5/2.

Kauto Stone (12/1) and Master Minded (16/1) follow close behind - it will be interesting to see where all these big names end up in the race.

Wishfull Thinking also spices up the mix at 33/1. Definitely an each-way bet.

Following the Tingle Creek chase at Sandown on Saturday, Sizing Europe and Kauto Stone look set to battle it out again for the punters.

 

SIZING EUROPE SEIZES VICTORY IN THE TINGLE CREEK AT SANDOWN

SIZING Europe has seized another victory today by winning the Tingle Creek at Sandown.

The 11/8F battled against Nicholls' Kauto Stone, half-brother to Champion horse Kauto Star.

Wishfull Thinking, ridden by Richard Johnson, started ahead of Sizing Europe, leading by 15 lengths at the seventh fence.

Sizing Europe and Kauto Stone galloped behind, both jumping fluently over the fences.

As the second half of the Chase came into action, Sizing Europe and Kauto Stone closed the gap with Wishfull Thinking.

Johnson may have raced ahead too quickly, leaving Wishfull Thinking less time to recover against the two horses battling against him.

The crowd roared as riders Andrew Lynch and Ruby Walsh reached the final furlong, yet by the last jump Sizing Europe was easily the best horse on form, leading by 5-6 lengths ahead of Kauto Stone.

Sizing Europe may have been a little slow on the fences on the back straight, but Andrew Lynch proved to the punters exactly why the horse is a champion chaser.

Full result:

1st -   Sizing Europe, 11/8F

2nd -  Kauto Stone, 7/2

3rd -   Cornas, 16/1