Paul Nicholls

Former Jockey and National Hunt horse trainer, Paul Nicholls is regarded as the leading trainer of his generation. During his career he’s racked up 2000 wins including the 2012 Grand National with Neptune Collonges, four Cheltenham Gold Cups and was named the British jump racing Champion Trainer ten times between 2005 and 2016. In the 2007 – 08 season he had 155 winners alone.

Born in Gloucestershire, Nicholls left school age 16 to work at the nearby point-to-point yard. He started his career as a stable jockey for David Barrons in 1986. 

As a rider, Nicholls and Barrons experienced huge success including back-to-back wins at the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury in 1986 and 1987. During his seven-year career Nicholls had 133 wins including in the Welsh Grand National. He retired in 1989, after being kicked by a horse during pre-season training and breaking his leg. 

Nicholls took out his trainer’s license in 1991, serving a two-year apprenticeship as assistant to Barons, before starting his own training stable at Manor Farm in Ditcheat, Somerset. 

He enjoyed a fruitful partnership with jockey Ruby Walsh. Together achieving five wins in the King George VI Chase with Kauto Star, The Queen Mother Championship Chase with Azertyuiop in 2004 and the 2007 and 2009 Cheltenham Gold Cup again with Kauto Star. 

One of Nicholls’ career highlights came in the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup where he had a 1-2-3 with Denman, Kauto Star and Neptune Collonges. 

In November 2011 he reached 2000 winners, the fastest National Hunt trainer to do so.

Odds Conversion

Let's start as we mean to go on. For many converting decimal to fractional odds and vice versa is something of an annoyance. This useful chart should certainly help out in that department. I've also included the probability of the odds listed!

Reference Point

Reference Point was a son of Mill Reef, who carried the distinctive racing colours of the late Louis Freedman and was trained by the late Sir Henry Cecil, although back in his heyday, long before his knighthood, when he was just plain “Henry”. Reference Point first rose to prominence when winning the William Hill Furity, now the Racing Post Trophy, at Doncaster in 1986. He started 4/1 third favourite behind stable companion Suhailie, ridden by Steve Cauthen, on that occasion but, having set a strong pace under Pat Eddery, drew away in the closing stages to win by 5 lengths.

Recurring sinus problems, which required an operation, precluded running in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, but Reference Point reappeared in the Dante Stakes, over 1 mile 2½ furlongs at York, in May, 1987. Ridden this time by Steve Cauthen, Reference Point once again set strong fractions and stayed on strongly to win by a length. Following the race, commentator Graham Goode said, prophetically, “This, for me, was a Derby winning performance.”

At Epsom the following month, Reference Point was backed into 6/4 favourite for the Derby and once again, made just about every yard of the running, eventually holding Most Welcome by 1½ lengths, with Belloto a further short head away in third. Cauthen said afterwards, “He’s a big strong horse…he’s going to be better as the year goes on and on more galloping tracks he’s going to be more of a force to be reckoned with.”

Reference Point dropped back to a mile and a quarter for the Coral-Eclipse Stakes, for which he started even money favourite but, having adopted his customary front running role, failed by threequarters of a length to withstand the challenge of Mtoto. He resumed winning ways in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, thrashing Celestial Storm and Triptych by 3 lengths and a neck, much to the delight of your correspondent, who was at Ascot that day, and completed his domestic season by winning the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York and the St. Leger at Doncaster.

Reference Point made his final appearance in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp, finding uncharacteristically little under pressure and finishing down the field; he was subsequently found to be suffering from an abscess on his foot.

What do you feed a race horse?

 

Teehee