Racing - Champion trainer sends Pistolet to Cartmel (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Racing - Champion trainer sends Pistolet to Cartmel

10:45am Saturday 28th May 2011 in Sport

CHAMPION trainer Paul Nicholls sends his first runners to Cartmel in eight years for Saturday's open day of the Bank Holiday meeting.

The Ditcheat handler will not be at the Cubmrian track - he'll be watching the Champions League final at his base - but he will be double-handed at the Lake District track.

Escudero features in the opening 2 miles, 6 furlongs novice hurdle, while Pistolet Noir runs in the 2 miles, 1 and a half furlong novice chase.

Nicholls' last runner was Satshoon, who was won a novice hurdle in the corresponding fixture in 2003.

Nicholls told the Racing Post: "I've been looking for a bit of decent ground and its been so dry to get Pistolet Noir started over fences, so that's why we've gone.

"It's a long way to go and there's normally lots of racing in the south, but it's nice ot have runners there and hopefully we can pick up something."

Because of the rain in recent days, the going is reported to be on the "soft side of good" without watering.