NICHOLLS SETS HIS SIGHTS ON ANOTHER FEAT

The 14-times champion trainer is keyed up to land a record 15th title

After setting a new personal best prize money total, along with being crowned champion Jump trainer for the 14th time, the 2022/23 campaign was one to remember for Paul Nicholls. With a stable oozing with talent, this season could be even more rewarding for one of Jump racing’s most formidable forces.

With Samarrive and Iceo finishing third and fourth respectively in the final race of the season at Sand-own Park it saw Nicholls set a new personal best prize money total of £3, 646, 585 which was just £74 bigger than his previous best tally of £3,646, 511 set during the 2007/08 campaign.

Standout moments in that record-breaking campaign included a 13th victory in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase courtesy of Bravemansgame, along with Cheltenham Festival wins for Stage Star in the Turners Novices’ Chase and Stay Away Fay in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.

And there is plenty of excitement building at Nicholls yard in Ditcheat with a team of novice chasers being assembled to rival the best on offer together with a number of already established high-quality individuals and a promising crop of youngsters all with their best days ahead of them.

Nicholls said: “Last season was a good season and we just cracked it by setting a new record level of prize money.

“We had 160 plus winners and lots of good race winners including two at the Cheltenham Festival and we built up a good string of horses that we hope will do well this season.

“We all want to have Cheltenham Festival winners, but you have got to have horses that are good enough to run there. However, it was good to get another two there.