Racecourse gallop planned for Triumph contender Minella Study

Minella Study is being readied for a racecourse gallop at Musselburgh later this week, with trainer Adam Nicol counting down the days until the JCB Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

The four-year-old is unbeaten in three starts over obstacles and was last seen beating subsequent winner Winston Junior and the ultra-consistent One Horse Town at Cheltenham in December, with Nicol deciding to sidestep subsequent options at Musselburgh and Haydock in favour of heading straight to the Festival.

“He’s going to go to Musselburgh on Wednesday for a schooling day,” Nicol said on Monday.

“We’re going straight to Cheltenham now. We might jump a few hurdles on Wednesday and just give him a nice canter round without going too mad.

“He’s pretty much there really. His weight is spot-on – he’s the same weight now as when he won at Cheltenham last time, so everything is on track and we’re not chasing our tail.

“He’ll go to Musselburgh and after that it will just be a case of keeping him ticking over and keeping him fresh and after that you just need a bit of luck.”

With ante-post favourite Narciso Has ruled out on Friday, Minella Study is a best-priced 7-1 for Cheletenham, putting him third in the market behind the Willie Mullins-trained pair of Proactif and Selma De Vary.

Nicol is understandably excited about his chance, adding: “The 25-1 that was available about a month ago is looking good, isn’t it? I had a nibble at that, I had to just because he’s our horse, but after what he did at Cheltenham I don’t think he should have been 25-1.

“His form is pretty much there or thereabouts, we’re taking it day by day and hopefully the ground isn’t much different to last time. It’s usually good to soft at Cheltenham, they do a good job there and that would be fine.

“In the Triumph Hurdle you need a horse who stays the trip well and that’s one thing this horse does – he sees out two miles very well.”