Coral Gold Cup option open for Bravemansgame

The Coral Gold Cup at Newbury could come under consideration for Bravemansgame after he was beaten into second place on his return to action in the Charlie Hall Chase on Saturday.

Having won the Wetherby feature in 2022 and filled the runner-up spot 12 months ago, the Paul Nicholls-trained nine-year-old was a hot favourite to make a successful start to his campaign in West Yorkshire, but was unable to reel in The Real Whacker.

Nicholls admits he was expecting better and could now drop his charge back into handicap company and potentially fit him with headgear at Newbury on November 30.

“I think he ran a good race, he just wasn’t good enough on the day. No excuses, really,” he said in his Betfair Ditcheat Diary on Monday.

“He was ready, he’d been away. Just because some of ours have needed the run, it didn’t apply to him. He was well ready.

“I’ll a chat with Bryan (Drew, owner). It might be we’ll have to think of something different now with him. He’s in the Coral Gold Cup, which is an option. It’s a race I always thought might suit him as it can often suit the classier horses with a bit more weight.

“Harry (Cobden) was half wondering whether he put everything in on Saturday, whether he wants a pair of blinkers on just to sharpen him a little bit. He’s had some hard races over the years, and just whether he’s just thinking about it a tad, I don’t know.

“I must admit I thought he’d win on Saturday, albeit the winner is a really smart horse.”

Bravemansgame has contested the King George VI Chase at Kempton in each of the past two seasons, triumphing two years ago and finishing best of the rest behind Hewick last term.

On a possible third tilt at the Boxing Day showpiece, Nicholls added: “It’s not ruled out. On Saturday’s performance he’d have to improve a fair bit to win a King George, but he might well do.

“I’ve got to discuss it with Bryan and we’ll make a plan. As I said, he’s in the Coral Gold Cup and we might have to think away from the box really and do something different with him.

“He’s come out of the race well and ate up and everything Saturday night, so we’ll just see.”