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Nicholls expects better spring from 'in and out' string

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Paul Nicholls

Paul Nicholls: leads the trainers’ championship by over £300,000

  PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)  

 By Peter Scargill 8:10PM 22 FEB 2016 

CHAMPION trainer Paul Nicholls admitted on Monday that he has “never been happy” with the form of his horses this season but added he expects to have a fruitful spring with the string beginning to find their form.

Nicholls endured a miserable December recording his lowest total of winners and prize-money for ten years while his January total of seven winners was below recents seasons as well. He was also briefly usurped in the betting to be champion trainer by Irish champion Willie Mullins.

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While Nicholls insisted at the time there was nothing to be concerned about, he said on Monday that it had been a frustrating time during the winter with horses failing to hold their form and suffering from minor ailments.

He said: “I’ve never been happy with the form of the horses all season. They’ve been very in and out and I think that applies to an awful lot of yards. It’s been one of those winters where there’s been a lot of coughing about and this and that and it hasn’t been easy.

“It’s frustrating when things don’t go well and December/January wasn’t a good time for us but the last two weeks have been really good and I think we’ll have a good spring.”

Nicholls sits on top of the trainers’ championship table with nearly £1,500,000 in total prize-money and believes there is more to come from his runners being targeted at the major spring festivals at Cheltenham and Aintree.

“We’ve had a good run of things of late. We’re nearly £300,000 ahead in the championship so we haven’t done bad,” he added.

‘Sam has the choice’

One of the horses set to represent Nicholls at the Cheltenham Festival is Old Guard in the Stan James Champion Hurdle and the trainer said it was up to jockey Sam Twiston-Davies whether he rode him or The New One for his dad Nigel.

Twiston-Davies came down on the side of Old Guard in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and, speaking to At The Races, Nicholls said: “Sam’s got the choice. If Sam rides The New One, Nick Scholfield rides Old Guard, simple as that. It’s up to Sam on the day and it’s not a problem.

“It’s a team thing here and Sam knows we make a decision as a team. Sam rides as number one but sometimes Nick will ride one or Sean [Bowen] will. The New One has slightly better form and I quite respect Sam’s wishes to ride for his dad. It’s entirely up to him.”

 

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