Paul Nicholls has long been renowned as a trainer who looks to unearth horses that will long-term make up into high-class chasers and he marches into the Jumps season proper with a formidable line-up in that division.
It is a mouth-watering concoction that see him house Cyrname (highest-rated chaser in Britain on 176), Clan Des Obeaux (dual King George VI winner), Politologue (winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase) and Topofthegame (winner of an RSA Chase and back from a year off) and coupled with that Paul has recently inherited Real Steel and Duc Des Genievres from Willie Mullins.
There are plenty of his team that are now making transition to novice chasing from hurdling, but Paul also holds plenty of aces in the hurdling and bumper ranks.
Harry Derham, assistant to Nicholls, kindly talked to Tony Elves about those he hopes can light up National Hunt enthusiasts’ Saturday afternoons this winter.