Nicky Martin to bide her time with stable star Bear Ghylls

Novice chase campaign on hold until next term.

Trainer Nicky Martin has called time on the idea of a novice chasing campaign for Bear Ghylls and will wait for next season.

Having developed into one of the leading novice hurdlers in Britain last season, signing off with a creditable fourth in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, he suffered a hind fetlock injury and minor ligament damage in October, and his Somerset-based handler has decided to preserve his novice chasing status.

Martin said: “Basically, the vets and I discussed it and we could have run him next month, but he would have to go hurdling again to not jeopardise his novice chasing status, so I decided time is always the best healer.

“It was just the intelligent decision. You can rush things, but because I own him and don’t have an owner and I’ve got 400 acres, he could just go out in the field. I always think time is the best thing to heal anybody.”

Bear Ghylls had won just three times over hurdles before suffering his sole defeat when clattering the third last in the Ballymore, finishing behind subsequent Grade One winners Bob Olinger, Gaillard Du Mesnil and Bravemansgame, and he remains an exciting prospect.

“He is a very nice horse and his form is so solid,” said Martin. “Obviously, we will try to find something plenty straightforward to start with and see where we go. If he carries on the way Bravemansgame has gone, then I will be more than happy.

“I think he would have beaten Bravemansgame in the Ballymore had he not have absolutely rooted the third from home. He never jumped hurdles very well.

“He is a very, big, rangy horse, so hopefully this break will not have done him any harm at all.

“He still needed to grow, he was still very A-framed, whereas now he looks nice and big and round, and I think this, in some ways, has really done him a favour.

“The vets are very confident and he is 100 per cent now, but there was just no point going hurdling for the sake of a month or six weeks.”

The Two Amigos (right) heads to Lingfield
The Two Amigos (right) heads to Lingfield (David Davies/PA)

Meanwhile, mud-loving The Two Amigos could head to Lingfield for the Winter Million Surrey National Handicap Chase on Sunday.

The 10-year-old was last seen chasing home Blaklion in at Haydock last month and has now been dropped 6lb by the handicapper to his last winning mark of 134.

Martin said: “They have actually given The Two Amigos an opportunity to win. I was very surprised they dropped him. I thought he would stay on the same mark.

“I knew Blaklion was well handicapped, but I think the handicapper has realised that it is over two years since The Two Amigos won.

“He might have won GBP 100,000 in two years but he hasn’t won a race.

“He has probably got one hit at it to win, but at least they have given him the chance to get his nose in front again, which will be lovely for him.

“He will probably go to Lingfield – there is a three-mile-four-furlong 0-135 which we now get in.

“It will be really nice to give him a chance to win.

“He always tries his best and they know how to play him now – they sit on his girth and wind him up. It is just one of those things.

“But he’ll do the veterans’ series next year, which will be perfect for him. It is nice prize-money, perfect distance and he’s still got young legs, as he has not been over-raced.”

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