Paul Nicholls

Although he has been overshadowed by the likes of Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton in recent times, the fact remains that Paul Nicholls has enjoyed a long, illustrious training career during which he has won the British National Hunt Trainers’ Championship 14 times since 2005/06. He has also saddled 50 winners at the Cheltenham Festival, placing him third on the all-time list, behind only Willie Mullins and Nicky Henderson.

Born in Lydney, Gloucestershire on April 17, 1962, Nicholls enjoyed a short, but successful, career as a jockey and spent two years as assistant trainer to David Barons before taking out a training licence in his own right in 1991. From his base at Manor Farm Stables in Ditcheat, near Shepton Mallet, Somerset – where he remains to this day – Nicholls enjoyed his breakthrough season in 1998/99, when he saddled 110 winners from 400 runners, at a strike rate of 28%, and amassed £1.19 million in prize money.

At the 1999 Cheltenham Festival, he saddled three winners, Flagship Uberalles in the Arkle Challenge Trophy, Call Equiname in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and See More Business in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, to win the leading trainer award for the first time. Nicholls had to wait a few years for his second Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, but then won the ‘Blue Riband’ event three years in a row with two of the highest-rated steeplechasers in the history of Timeform.

In 2007, Kauto Star (eventually rated 191) justified 5/4 favouritism when staying on strongly in the closing stages to beat Exotic Dancer by two and a half lengths. The following year, Kauto Star was sent off at a shade of odds-on, at 10/11, to defend his Gold Cup title, but could make no impression on his stable companion Denman (eventually rated 183) from three out and eventually finished a creditable second, beaten seven lengths. Neptune Collonges, also saddled by Nicholls, stayed on strongly on the run-in to finish third, just a short-head behind Kauto Star, to give the trainer a notable 1-2-3. In 2009, Kauto Star was once again favourite to regain his title and did so in some style, going clear before the final fence for an impressive, 13-length win over Denman.