Bravemansgame's sights set on possible Newbury outing

The Paul Nicholls-trained nine-year-old, who won the race in 2022 and was runner-up in 2023, was a hot favourite to make a successful start to his campaign but couldn't get past The Real Whacker.

Bravemansgame could now drop back into handicap company on November 30 as Nicholls admitted he was expecting better.

“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.”

A return to the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day is also being discussed.

“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," Nicholls said.

“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.”