Daryl Jacob has been handed the plum spare ride aboard Bravemansgame in the Betfair Chase, with Paul Nicholls confirming his Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up is likely to line up at Haydock on Saturday.
Nicholls had indicated the Grade One contest was a possibility for his star stayer following his reappearance second in the Charlie Hall and if conditions are suitably dry throughout the week, it appears the eight-year-old will travel to Merseyside en route to the King George at Kempton.
With Bravemansgame’s usual rider Harry Cobden set to be in action at Ascot, it is an opportunity for Jacob to add to the three Betfair Chase victories he secured aboard Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Bristol De Mai.
It also represents a return to the fold at Ditcheat for the 40-year-old, with Jacob once stable jockey to the champion trainer, riding Cheltenham Festival winners aboard Zarkandar and Lac Fontana.
Speaking to Betfair, Nicholls said: “An update for everybody. He schooled this morning nicely. Daryl Jacob rode him. He runs on Saturday.
“Daryl’s going to ride him, you know. He’s got all the experience in the world. He rides out a little bit here, so he got on great with him this morning.
“We’ve confirmed him this morning, and we’re just going to monitor the ground during the week. If it was heavy, he definitely won’t run, but I’m encouraged by the weather forecast. Looks like it’s drying up.”
Related Horse Racing Links
Latest odds for today’s racing
The Hong Kong Internal Races (HKIR) are making a comeback for the 2023 season on the 10th of December. 4 Group 1 races, HK$118 million, or $23.8 million in priz
The 2024 Northerly Stakes laid stake on Saturday, December 7th at the famed Ascot Racecourse. It left the horse racing world abuzz in awe over its thrilling end
We all are accustomed to the adrenaline rush of horse racing. The intense action on a racing track, horses overtaking each other, jockeys letting equines loose
Each year, the Hong Kong Vase is one of the premier group 1 horse races held for thoroughbreds ages three and above at Sha Tin. This race was established in 199
