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Paul Nicholls expects Captain Teague to have a ‘big chance’ as he jumps his first fence in public in the Coral John Francome Novices’ Chase at Newbury on Friday.
The Johnny de la Hay-owned six-year-old was due to make his chasing debut at Exeter earlier this month, but he was awarded a walkover after his two intended rivals were withdrawn on account of the ground being too quick.
With Nicholls keen to unleash his Grade 1 Challow Hurdle winner over fences, Captain Teague will now face five rivals in Grade 2 company back at Newbury.
Speaking on his Betfair blog, Nicholls said: "He won the Persian War and the Challow last season before disappointing at Cheltenham in the spring when he was never quite right along with several others in the yard.
"He is in top order now, enjoyed a gallop round Newbury last week and I've always thought he would make a chaser. His schooling over fences has been very good and I'd like to think he has a big chance."
Captain Teague will face five rivals as he gets his chasing campaign underway at the Berkshire venue, including the Ben Pauling-trained The Jukebox Man, who finished third behind Paul Nicholls' charge in the Challow last season before filling the runner-up spot in both the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett and Sefton at Cheltenham and Aintree respectively.
Talking to Sky Sports Racing at the Newbury gallops morning earlier in the week, Pauling said: "It's been a bit of an annoyance trying to find somewhere for him to go but I'm sure a lot of people are in the same boat with these great big chasing types. He handles soft ground and he's a good jumper.
"He's a horse hopefully out of the top drawer and I hope he can prove it this year."
The betting cannot split Captain Teague and The Jukebox Man at present with both horses topping the market at 9/4, while JP McManus' Johnnywho is a 3/1 shot on the back of his smooth chasing debut success at Carlisle last month.
Elsewhere at Newbury, Paul Nicholls' hugely exciting juvenile hurdler Regent's Stroll will have his first outing over hurdles.
An impressive winner of a Newbury bumper in the colours of Chris Giles, he was subsequently sold for a National Hunt horse in training record-fee of £660,000 at Doncaster and will now carry Sir Alex Ferguson's silks for a partnership including John Hales, Ged Mason and Neil and Alfie Smith.
"We are taking a strong team to Newbury's two-day meeting starting with Regent's Stroll who won the £100,000 Goffs bumper at this track in March and is now making his debut over hurdles," said Nicholls.
"He's a gorgeous horse, has done a lot of schooling and had a nice workout at Newbury last week. He's one of our most exciting hopes for the season and can hopefully start off in a winning note.
"He's exciting, has done plenty of schooling and has a first-rate chance."
The same silks will be sported by Kalif Du Berlais, who bids to bounce back from a heavy fall at Carlisle when contesting the Coral Racing Club Novices' Limited Handicap Chase.
Nicholls said: "He was very smart over hurdles, is a fine chasing prospect and looked poised to make a winning debut over fences at Carlisle recently until misjudging the fourth last and taking a heavy fall.
"Thankfully he was fine afterwards. Kalif du Berlais has done plenty of schooling since then, will have another pop over fences on Thursday morning and you wouldn't know he'd had a fall. I'm hopeful of a big run."
