Rolf Johnson pays Ranjaan a visit

I’d barely stepped into the yard when Paul Nicholls came over, in haste, to say: “Go ask Daryl how Ranjaan schooled this morning!”

It was a murky day down in Somerset, arranged to publicize this weekend’s Newbury trials, titled Betfair Super Saturday where Paul is heavily represented. It was also the opportunity to announce the news that Prince Harry will present the trophy for the Betfair Supports Walking with the Wounded Handicap Hurdle.

Newbury Racecourse has chosen the WWTW as their charity of choice to benefit from its February showpiece. WWTW raise funds to assist with re-training and re-education of servicemen and women. This year the charity is aiming to assist five injured servicemen to conquer Mount Everest.

Will racing take place? Richard Osgood the course clerk at Newbury says he is in the hands of the cold weather forecast but he has taken every precaution.

“We’ll race on fresh ground and the course will have been covered with ground sheets for over a week. We’re doing everything we can to put the meeting on,” said Richard.

Ranjaan, who started his jumping career finishing second at Newbury last November, has all the experience he needs for the JCB Triumph. Daryl Jacob said: “It was some performance to beat those experienced horses at Taunton. I couldn’t have been more delighted with him that day – Doncaster (where Ranjaan fell) was just an aberration, perhaps he was a bit fresh, inexplicable because he schooled brilliant this morning.”

The only disturbance on Daryl’s smiling countenance is whether he gets to ride Ranjaan at the Cheltenham Festival. “Ah, Ruby (Walsh) is Paul’s first jockey and I’m just glad to be riding whatever I’m picked for.”

Paul has to run Dildar again at Kempton and Dodging Bullets possibly at Newbury before cementing his Triumph Hurdle plans. He also has Hinterland and Pearl Swan in the mix for the juvenile hurdle championship on March 16.

But he doesn’t disguise his satisfaction with Ranjaan’s progress. Paul is looking to the day, fast approaching, when the boxes of his stable superstars, Kauto Star, Denman and Master Minded – the last two on the injury list – will need to be filled by successors; maybe not of their stature, but aspiring to it.

Zarkandar is one of the more obvious ones. Last year’s Triumph winner will be making his seasonal debut at Newbury, weather permitting, en route to the Champion Hurdle.

Paul said: “Unlike Ranjaan, Zarkandar isn’t a ‘wow’ horse at home. I’m not worried that I’ve had to wait until now. The Betfair Hurdle is the richest handicap in Europe and he’s favourite for it. But this is his prep race for the Champion Hurdle and I might have a headache if it’s off.”

Zarkandar is in marvellous fettle: “Look at him,” exclaimed the champion trainer. “When the Aga bred him he had no thoughts that he’d ever go jumping.”

The master trainer could say the same about Ranjaan who arrived from exactly the same source. The difference is that Paul concedes, “Zarkandar is not a horse to go steeplechasing – Ranjaan? Now that’s a different matter, one day.”