The leading 14-time British Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls began with just eight horses in 1991 when starting out at Ditcheat, but since then he has forged an unforgettable career. Though he won his first Grade 1 in 1993, it took him a further six years to land a winner at the Cheltenham Festival but like all good things, they came in a prestigious triage.
Paul Nicholls won the Queen Mother Champion Chase with Call Equine under Mick Fitzgerald, the Arkle Challenge with Flagship Uberalles under Joe Tizzard and most famously of all, he won the Gold Cup with See More Business, perked up in the first time blinkers under Mick Fitzgerald. The 1999 success slingshotted Nicholls to elite status as a trainer, though it wasn’t until seven years later that he was eventually crowned Champion Trainer. Not only that, but despite his 1999 heroics, he had to wait a further four years (three festivals, given it was cancelled in 2001) until landing another Cheltenham Festival success.
In 2003, Nicholls landed the Arkle Challenge with Azertyuiop under Ruby Walsh, who became one of four winners for team Ditcheat at the 2004 Festival when completing the Arkle/Champion Chase double, along with Sporazene in the County, Earthmover in the Foxhunter’s and St Pirran in the Grand Annual.
By the mid 00’s, Nicholls had established himself as one of the best operators around, and in turn, acquired some of the greatest thoroughbreds the sport has seen. Two of the most notable in the household canon of national hunt horses were Kauto Star and Denman. The pair were once in a lifetime horses, so to have two of them was a blessing one could only dream of. The excellence of Nicholls’ handling was manifested in his works of Kauto Star, who became the only horse to ever be top rated over the three key trips in the same season. Amassing a total of sixteen Grade One’s, including a record seven consecutive Grade One’s, Kauto Star won both the 2007 and 2009 Gold Cup for Paul Nicholls. He regained his crown in the latter, having finished second to stablemate Denman in 2008. Denman, ‘The Tank’, was Nicholls’ third Gold Cup winner at the time and was renowned for his relentless, somewhat indestructible galloping nature. The former Brown Advisory winner lost out on his rematch with Kauto Star in the 2009 renewal, but arguably put up an even greater performance when a gallant winner of the Hennessy Gold Cup off top weight at Newbury, giving 22lbs to What A Friend in second.
28 of Paul Nicholls’ 49 Cheltenham Festival winners were in the Grade One’s, including the tenacious Big Bucks who was a relentless stalwart of the staying division in winning four consecutive Stayers’ hurdles between 2009-2012, but the calibre of high class thoroughbreds have depleted in Ditcheat of late. The lifelong Manchester United supporter has mirrored the former giants in the deterioration of his string, thus requiring a switch up in the sourcing of his horses with daughter Megan seemingly becoming a more prominent figure regarding unearthing the future gems. As a result, we’re unlikely to see many of the Ditcheat runners in the winners circle over these prestigious four days, but that isn’t to say he doesn’t have any underdogs lurking in the shadows.
Jubilee Alpha – Flemensrth x Queen Alphabet (King’s Theatre) – Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
Paul Nicholls is yet to win a mares contest at the Cheltenham Festival and the fact that Jubilee Alpha is his shortest priced runner at this stage is a microcosm for the lack of depth in his yard. The daughter of Flemensfirth shouldn’t be underestimated despite that record, as she’s looked potentially well above average so far in her five races to date. She comfortably won a Wincanton bumper last February before going on to nish second to Diva Luna in the Aintree G2 bumper, and she made a promising start over hurdles when beaten a length in a listed mares contest at Newbury on seasonal return. She was an eye-catcher there, and duly delivered on that promise next time out when winning the listed Byerley Stud Mares Novice at Taunton in December. Nicholls’ mares backed that effort up under a penalty at Windsor next time out under a confident looking Harry Cobden, who was well on top at the line despite having to be shaken up after the last. The form of that was franked when the second and fourth filled the forecast spot at Market Rasen next time out, and given Love Envoi won the same contest en-route to her Mares Novice triumph in 2022, she has to be considered.
Kabral Du Mathan – Pastorius x Nasthazya (Rochesson) – County Hurdle
Of those graduating through the academy ranks at Ditcheat, the well-built Kabral Du Mathan looks a credible future star. He was awfully raw and green at Huntingdon when landing a four-year contest there, and immediately embodied the cliche of ‘anything he does over hurdle is a bonus’. He was kept away for the season presumably to mentally develop and ll into his frame, and he returned this season with a comfortable four length success at Kempton on handicap debut o 123 with the second franking the form nicely since. The Pastorius gelding has finished runner up in two competitive premier handicaps since, going up 8lbs to 139 for his troubles, but he shaped much better than his eventual finishing position last time out around the tight undulations of Windsor, and a trip to the County Hurdle on the new course at Cheltenham should unearth further improvement, as he’ll be suited to sitting o a strong gallop and the long straight can see him open up his large stride to positive effect.
No Drama This End – Walk In The Park x La Segnora (Turgeon) – Champion Bumper
Paul Nicholls was ‘blown away’ by the performance of £160,000 buy No Drama This End at Warwick, who displayed a useful turn of foot to see off a competitive looking eld. He was kept up to his work under Harry Cobden and won eased down for a poignant success on what would’ve been Paul Barber’s 82nd birthday. The Champion Bumper was earmarked immediately, and given the second had beat Fortune De Mer in his point, who has since won a listed bumper at Cheltenham, there is reason to believe he could be well above average. The Champion Bumper is another Festival present yet to be unwrapped by the yard, but given there doesn’t appear to be a standout performer this term, No Drama This End shouldn’t be written off either.
Henri The Second – Saddler Maker x Rock Treasure (Video Rock) – Pertemps Network Final
Paul Nicholls had a somewhat consolation winner at the Festival last season with Monmiral springing a surprise in the Pertemps, and he has one with a similar profile with Henri The Second this time around. Like Monmiral, Henri The Second was promising early on in his career for Nicholls, winning a listed bumper at Ascot, nishing second to Chianti Classico on hurdles debut, and winning the G2 Winter Novices’ next time out before going off the boil. Like Monmiral, fences hardly rekindle him either but a subsequent year o has potentially proved the oracle, as he was a devastating winner of a Pertemps qualifier at Sandown in December, clearly shaping better for his comeback run a month prior when held up in rear. The second, who was eighteen lengths behind, has come out and won since, the twenty nine length third has racked up a double since, and the fourth also won next time out. Henri The Second is only 9lbs higher and the form is evidently working out, and he lost little in defeat when a staying on second to Red Dirt Road in the competitive Heroes Handicap at Sandown earlier this month in deplorable enough ground. A mark of 134 could still underestimate him, but it is rather concerning that all of his best form has come going right handed at either Sandown or Ascot, and he may need heavy ground to be seen to best effect.
Ginny’s Destiny – Yeats x Dantes Term (Phardante) – Plate Handicap
Ginny’s Destiny is just about the last of the Nicholls battalion worth discussing with a credible chance at this stage, and he has been earmarked for a tilt toward the Plate Handicap, carrying a workable weight of 11-6. The former Timeform Novice winner and Turners’ second has a chunk to prove after a dismal season thus far, but like most of Nicholls’, he surely can’t have been all that right in himself. He pulled up when favourite for November Paddy Power Gold Cup, he wasn’t all that disgraced when beaten thirteen lengths in the Peterborough Chase, and he was one of ve to be well beaten after adopting a prominent pitch over C&D last time out, weakening two out after making all off top weight. As a result, he’s dropped to a very workable mark of 149, and taking into account his form with Grey Dawning, he could easily make a mockery of that if somewhat back to his best. His form figures at Cheltenham over 2m4f read 711122 last season, and given the significance of course form that often comes to the fore in the Plate, it’s no forlorn hope that this two time G1 second can’t outrun his odds of 25/1.
Evidently, the ammunition in Paul Nicholls’ barrel of Cheltenham contenders is thin, but it only takes one overlooked bullet to land as we saw last season. Plenty will need things to fall their way, but given the yards overall form this season there will be plenty overlooked all the same. With a number of promising younger horses meriting consideration and some familiar faces lingering on a dangerous mark, team Ditcheat will certainly not lay down without a fight.
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