Paul Nicholls

DOB: May 17 1962

Paul Nicholls, the son of a policeman, was born in Olveston, Bristol, on April 17, 1962, and has been training at Manor Farm Stables in Ditcheat, Somerset, since taking out a licence on November 1, 1991.

He started out as a jump jockey and twice rode the winner of the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury, in 1986 and 1987. He partnered 130 winners between 1980 and 1989, and nominates the best horses he rode as Broadheath, Playschool and Seagram.

Between 1989 and 1991, he was assistant trainer to former Devon-based David Barons, who sent out Seagram to win the 1991 Grand National at Aintree during that time. Having strongly challenged Martin Pipe for the jump trainers’ championship for several years, most notably when pushing his great rival right to the last day of the 2004/05 campaign, he claimed his first title in the 2005/06 season, and followed up in the following campaign, with the hugely-talented Kauto Star being the flag-bearer with victories in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree, the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park, Sandown’s Tingle Creek Chase, the King George VI Chase at Kempton, Newbury’s AON Chase and the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

He also trains Denman, who defeated stablemate Kauto Star in the 2008 totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, while in last year’s blue riband, Kauto Star reversed the placings as Nicholls saddled four of the first five home.

He has also pulled off the amazing feat of saddling seven winners and three seconds from his 10 runners on Saturday, November 7, 1998, and made history when he became the first trainer to saddle six winners on the same card, at Wincanton, his local track, on Saturday, January 21, 2006.

Another highpoint in his training career came at the 1999 Cheltenham Festival, as he captured the major chase on each of the three days - Flagship Uberalles scored in the Irish Independent Arkle Chase, Call Equiname in the Queen Mother Champion Chase the following day and, best of all, See More Business took the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup. Nicholls was the most successful trainer at The Festival in 1999, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and the champion jump trainer was the leading trainer last year with five winners.

Cheltenham Festival Wins (25):

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle: 2006 Noland

The Irish Independent Arkle Trophy: 1999 Flagship Uberalles, 2003 Azertyuiop

RSA Chase: 2006 Star De Mohaison, 2007 Denman

Season’s Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase: 1999 Call Equiname, 2004 Azertyuiop, 2008 &

2009 Master Minded

totesport Gold Cup: 1999 See More Business, 2007 & 2009 Kauto Star, 2008 Denman

Christie’s Foxhunter Chase: 2004 Earthmover, 2005 Sleeping Night

Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase: 2004 St Pirran, 2007 Andreas

Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle: 2004 Sporazene, 2006 Desert Quest, 2009 American Trilogy

Ryanair Chase: 2005 Thisthatandtother, 2007 Taranis

JCB Triumph Hurdle: 2008 Celestial Halo

Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase: 2009 Chapoturgeon

Ladbrokes World Hurdle: 2009 Big Buck’s