Nicholls turns to Fergie as Thomas doubts grow

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Nicholls plans to ask Ferguson if he has any advice to offer over the form of Sam Thomas who has been beset by a series of unfortunate incidents since filling in for the injured Ruby Walsh over the past fortnight.

Thomas has been unseated at the final fence in the big race on each of the past two Saturdays and Nicholls is delaying a decision on whether the Welshman will ride Master Minded, the highest-rated chaser in Britain, in Saturday's Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown.

Nicholls, who trains horses for Ferguson, told today's Racing Post: "I'm in the same position as a football manager with an out-of-form striker, so I'm going to ring up Fergie to get his thoughts.

"I want to know what he would do if Cristiano Ronaldo was having a spell where he kept hitting the crossbar and missing penalties.

"I have to work out the best way for Sam to start scoring goals again. I have no doubt we'll get him back to his best — it's just a case of working out the best way of doing that."

Thomas parted company with Big Buck's at the last in Saturday's Hennessy Gold Cup just seven days after being unshipped from Kauto Star at the final fence of the Betfair Chase at Haydock.

Master Minded is in the same ownership as Kauto Star, and it could be that Tony McCoy will be brought in for the ride on the current champion chaser with Thomas partnering Nicholls's Twist Magic who won the Sandown race 12 months ago.

Nicholls added: "Sam is out of form and he knows that. Since he won the Gold Cup he has had a few reversals, but he hasn't suddenly become a bad jockey.

"I won't be making any decision about who rides Master Minded until tomorrow or Wednesday. I want to do what is right for Sam. I've spoken to him and he's a bit low, but there is no possibility that he will be sacked.

"The worry is if he rides Master Minded, he will be all over the Saturday papers so if he rides him at Sandown and it goes wrong, we have an even worse problem."