Bravemansgame is a former hurdler that won three, came second twice and third once from six races and has moved on to chasing under trainer Paul Nicholls. According to its rating, which currently stands at 171, not only is it one of the better chasers around, but it will also start off as one of, if not the favourite, according to horse racing odds.
With such an impressive record as a chaser, where he’s always there or thereabouts when it comes to the crunch, Bravemansgame is a horse many are watching out for when it’s listed to race. And while the 2024 Cheltenham Festival is on the horizon for trainers of Nicholls’ ilk, especially with a charge as good as Bravemansgame, there’s still likely to be a big race for him to perform in before March comes around.
According to entries, Bravemansgame next race will be the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day 2023. Bravemansgame won the King George last year, fourteen lengths clear of Royal Pagaille, and King George VI Chase odds have him installed as second favourite behind the Gordon Elliott-trained Gerri Colombe.
Nicholls and connections could be waiting to see how Bravemansgame performs in the King George before deciding which avenue to go down at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival. Two possible entries at the festival for Bravemansgame will be the Ryanair Chase and the Boodles Gold Cup. While he’s unlikely to top the list with the Cheltenham Gold Cup odds, especially after being beaten by seven lengths by Galopin Des Champs in the 2023 Gold Cup, he’d undoubtedly be the favourite in the Ryanair Chase.
Bravemansgame’s recent form
Bravemansgame is a horse that is always there or thereabouts, and that’s over hurdles and chasing. Recent form suggests this is the case, too. In his previous four races, Bravemansgame was second in the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup, third in the Punchestown Gold Cup, second at Wetherby at the start of November and then second again at Haydock towards the end of November, ironically to Royal Pagaille, who Bravemansgame beat in the King George last year.
If you go back to the two runs Bravemansgame had before that group of four races, he came first at Wetherby in October 2022 before winning the King George in style at Kempton on Boxing Day of the same year. What recent form suggests is that Bravemansgame will continue to be there or thereabouts, but there will be a hope he can get back to winning ways in his next race, which will be the King George VI Chase, where the aim will be to defend his crown. As a chaser, Bravemansgame has racked up six wins, three seconds and one third from eleven races, which remains impressive form whichever way you want to look at it.
Who trains Bravemansgame?
Bravemansgame is trained by fourteen-time Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls, whose stables are based at Ditcheat in Somerset. Nicholls is one of the most successful British jump trainers of all time, having racked up over 3,500 winners since the 1990s.
Nicholls’ list of accolades is too long to go into in detail, but he trained Azertyuiop and Master Minded to success in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the latter on two occasions, first in 2008 and then in 2009. He was also the trainer of the legendary Kauto Star, who won King George five times and the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice.
Bravemansgame is one of Nicholls’ current aces in the pack. He’ll be hoping that he can make it two from two in the King George on Boxing Day before being rested until the Cheltenham Festival in March, where he could be aiming to go one better in the Gold Cup after finishing second in the 2023 Gold Cup.
