Paul Nicholls Exclusive: My Betfair Hurdle plans

Pearl Swan

Paul reveals he has left of all his seven entries in at the latest entry stage of the Betfair Hurdle

All are still possibles for the race, but at this point I would say that my two likeliest runners are Pearl Swan and Dark Lover.

I would really like to get Pearl Swan to the race - it is the UK's most valuable handicap hurdle after all - and he is coming along well at the moment.

In fact, this morning we gave him his first serious school since his fall in the Triumph last season. I would like to think he would develop into better than a 146-rated horse by the end of the season, but I still have a fear that Newbury will come a week or so too soon for him.

But we are pressing on with him, and it could be that I get him to the race fit enough to do himself justice but not fully primed - very much like Zarkandar last year. I would certainly settle for the same result and it is certainly possible, as he is still in the Champion Hurdle, too, and we like him a lot.

If possible, I would like get a racecourse gallop into him in the next 10 days, or maybe take in a jumpers' bumper if I can get him into one of those.

I have said before that I think it is ludicrous that Dark Lover has been raised 17lb for his Cheltenham win, and that ensures that he certainly isn't unexposed coming into the race. I was going to run him off his new mark at the abandoned Taunton meeting last Saturday to see where we stood with him, but the plan is to go to Newbury and claim off him.

It is 50-50 as to whether Celestial Halo runs off top weight, as we are up against it trying to get him ready in time. But we need to get a run into him as soon as possible, to get him teed up for a possible crack at the World Hurdle.

Edgardo Sol and the fairly-handicapped Ranjaan ideally need good ground to be competitive in a race like the Betfair Hurdle, and it may be doubtful whether Dildar and Caid Du Berlais will get into the race from the bottom of the weights. I was more than happy with both on their reappearances though, and Dildar may run at Cheltenham this weekend if it survives the weather.