Paul Nicholls may not have been thrusting for a fifteenth National Hunt champion trainer title last term, but he still passed the £2million prize money mark for a 24th time with his 94 winners netting £2,162,151.
It could well have been even brighter if potential Cheltenham Gold Cup contender Caldwell Potter hadn’t been on the sidelines, but that most welcome addition will be back this season. With the likes of Challow Hurdle hero No Drama This End, emphatic William Hill Hurdle winner Tutti Quanti and Midlands Grand National scorer Isaac Des Obeaux also at his disposal, the team could well be swinging towards £3 million plus this time around.
There has also been a healthy influx of potential star novice hurdlers from the Irish point-to-point field and Paul’s assistant George Edgedale kindly talked Tony Elves of attheraces.com through the established stars and young guns at Ditcheat.