THE first Grade 1 chase of the Irish jumps season is just three weeks away and once again champion British trainer Paul Nicholls intends to be represented.

Nicholls has won the jnwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal four times in the past 10 years and on November 5th he plans to run dual King George VI Chase winner Silviniaco Conti in the three-mile contest.

He said: “Silviniaco Conti is off to Down Royal for the three-mile Grade 1 and Le Mercurey will go out there on the same day for the two and a half-mile Grade 2 chase.”

Pulled-up in the King George last year, Silviniaco Conti bounced back to win the Grade 1 Ascot Chase in February before failing to complete the course in the Grand National at Aintree.

The last three runnings of the Down Royal race have been won by Gigginstown House Stud-owned horses: Roi Du Mee, Road To Riches and Don Cossack. This year the leading Gigginstown contender appears to be Don Poli, recently transferred from Willie Mullins to Gordon Elliott.

Thursday’s Punchestown winner Sadler’s Risk is another intended runner, while Noel Meade says this week’s Galway winner Monksland will go for either the Grade 1 or the Grade 2 on the card.

Nicholls has made a flying start to the month. He had four winners at Chepstow on Sunday and won five races yesterday between Fakenham and Wincanton.

Revealing plans for some of his stable stars, he said: “Zarkandar could go to Wetherby for the West Yorkshire Hurdle. He is ready to run but the ground is key. Dodging Bullets will go for the Haldon Gold Cup. Ptit Zig might go back to Auteuil on November 5th then he go for the Long Walk Hurdle, but he wants it to be soft there. Adrien Du Pont could also go out to Auteuil for a four-year-old Grade 1 later in November.

“Diego Du Charmil will have an entry in the Greatwood, but we might also have a look at that race at Haydock. Nothing is set in stone though. I don’t think he will go for the Elite Hurdle as we have others like Zubayr for that.

“Irish Saint won’t run anywhere until it rains, but he will be out before Christmas. He could go to Ascot at the end of the month for the valuable handicap chase there or something like the Badger Ales (at Wincanton).

“Vicente might go for the three and a half-mile mile race at the November Cheltenham meeting or he could go to for the three-mile Intermediate Chase at Sandown next month. The National is his target as he is rated 151. For a horse like him, the better races are after Christmas.”