Nicholls ponders Ascot run for Black Corton

Horse Racing
Nicholls ponders Ascot run for Black Corton

Black Corton has a chance of featuring in Saturday’s Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot, trainer Paul Nicholls has confirmed.

The eight-year-old has been kept under wraps since the end of April when he won the Grade Two Oaksey Chase at Sandown on the final day of the National Hunt season.

The Galway Plate on July 31 is the main target for Black Corton, but Nicholls is looking to use this weekend’s extended two-mile-five-furlong contest as ideal preparation.

The 11-time champion jumps handler said: ‘Black Corton is going for the Galway Plate, and it would be nice to give him a run before it.

This is just over a month before it, and fits in nicely.

‘I didn’t really want to run him over jumps at this time of year, and Megan (Nicholls) came up with the idea over the weekend.

He is second on the ballot list, but hopefully he will get in.

‘ Nicholls added: ‘I’ve been keeping him ticking over really since Sandown, because we knew we were going to Galway.

‘He has been doing plenty, but this would help keep his fitness up and do him the world of good.’

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