Racing: Nicholls can check Falcon's ascent with progressive Perouse

There is never a moral winner in racing, just the first horse to cross a finishing line, but the nearest the sport gets to such a worthy concept came at Newbury a week ago today, when Rooster Booster did everything but win the Tote Gold Trophy off a crushing top weight.

There is never a moral winner in racing, just the first horse to cross a finishing line, but the nearest the sport gets to such a worthy concept came at Newbury a week ago today, when Rooster Booster did everything but win the Tote Gold Trophy off a crushing top weight.

The Champion Hurdler did not succeed, but the message he sent out that day was that defeat had gilded rather than tarnished his reputation. Rooster Booster is now around 6-4 to retain his crown and it is hard to imagine what can occur at Wincanton this afternoon to even lightly scratch at the grey's credentials for 16 March.

True, Intersky Falcon, the ante-post second favourite, is in the field, yet he would need to lap his seven rivals to have his odds of 9-2 for Cheltenham seriously reduced. Potentially more liable to price fluctuation is the Paul Nicholls-trained pair, Rigmarole and Perouse.

The former already has a victory over Rooster Booster to his credit this season, in the Bula Hurdle, albeit at a time when the champion was just playing with us. However, Rigmarole has a history of shoddiness at this course and, despite the ministrations of Ruby Walsh on his back, it could pay to go for the Manor Farm No2.

Perouse (next best 2.45) looks fabulous each-way and value for the win also as his second to Limerick Boy in the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton recently was proof that the line on his graph is still searching upwards.

The previous race witnesses the reappearance of the 2002 Grand National runner-up What's Up Boys, who has been off for 15 months. You could be excused for imagining this other grey trained by Philip Hobbs had been absent suffering from a broken heart following his narrow defeat by Bindaree at Aintree two seasons ago. It was, however, a damaged hock sustained later that year in the Charlie Hall Chase which registered him hors de combat.

Another National beckons, or possibly a Gold Cup, if What's Up Boys can prove the magic is still there and the conditions mean he gets weight even from the novice D'Argent (2.10).

Alan King's runner is on a roll as he continues his education towards the Royal & SunAlliance Chase and he performs here in preference to the Reynoldstown Chase at Ascot. "I'm very happy with him, he schooled very well the other day," the trainer said. "The idea is to get a run into him to give him more experience."

The Reynoldstown is on Channel 4 for the first time as the BBC is covering the Six Nations' Championship. Its significance stretches way beyond the race itself, for if Old Vic performs with distinction here it will free his stablemate Therealbandit to run in the Gold Cup.

"He is very well and, although we might have liked the ground to be a bit softer, we need to run him," David Johnson, who also owns Therealbandit, said yesterday. "I'd say he has come on from Exeter, but he hasn't schooled since as he doesn't need it. We are expecting a big run from him and I am sorry AP McCoy can't ride him, but we have been lucky enough to get Timmy Murphy to step into his shoes."

It all sounds rather snug, but racing is rarely like that. Others to consider are Rosslea, though his trainer, Henrietta Knight, admitted yesterday that her runner would prefer softer ground and a longer trip, and L'Aventure (3.25), for whom the terms of this race could have been scripted.

The flask and sandwiches race of the day is the Eider Chase at Newcastle, which has again attracted a combination of grizzled old stayers and potential dark horses. Dark Room is aptly one of the latter and cannot be dismissed as he comes from Jonjo O'Neill's yard, yet it may be that the Irish trainer will have to give way to the only Irish-trained horse this time.

What Odds (nap 3.05) was out of the handicap when third in the Tote Classic Chase at Warwick last month and is now worth another chance off his real mark, particularly as he appears to be one of the few in the field who have their best days over the brow.

* Krach, due to run in the novices' hurdle at Ascot today and a Cheltenham prospect for François Doumen and JP McManus, was put down after breaking a pastern while cantering on the Epsom gallops yesterday.