Bookies react as Nicholls hits sticky patch

Bookmakers have reacted to an unusually unsuccessful weekend for Paul Nicholls by lengthening Big Buck's odds for next Saturday's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup and claiming all is not right with the champion trainer's stable.

Bet365 pushed Big Buck's out from 4-1 to 9-2 following a succession of setbacks for Nicholls highlighted by Kauto Star's eclipse in Saturday's Betfair Chase at Haydock won by Peter Bowen's Snoopy Loopy.

Pat Cooney, spokesman for Bet365, said: "By its tremendously high standards, the stable had a bit of a damp weekend. Nicholls is not firing on all cylinders in his usual Saturday-dominating way, and there look to be other Hennessy players, like Nicky Henderson's Oedipe, from stables in better form. We're happy to lay a few quid at 9-2."

Coral pushed Kauto Star out to 5-1 (from 11-4) for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March after the final fence fall at Haydock but Nicholls will now concentrate on getting the eight-year-old ready for a hat-trick of wins in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

He said: "My job now is to get him back to his very best for Kempton. He's a little sore around the hind quarters and he will have a little physio and be given an easy two weeks before we tune him up for the King George."

Oedipe was reported to be "in good form" by Henderson ahead of the Hennessy at Newbury, but it looks as though the race will come too soon for Snoopy Loopy and Joe Lively.