Nicholls bids for his tenth win in big race

THERE have been countless memorable moments in Paul Nicholls’ distinguished training career.

Among the many highlights are his nine victories in the 32Red King George VI Chase – and he makes a convincing case for further celebrations in the Christmas cracker at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.

No other trainer has such a glorious record in a race that honours a British monarch who suffered from an acute stammer.

But getting his message across has never been a problem for the forthright Nicholls.

The trainer was responsible for nurturing Kauto Star to become the undisputed king of Kempton with the gelding completing an historic fifth victory in 2011.

Nicholls’ uncanny judgement was rewarded by Kauto Star’s remarkable career, which also includes victories in two Cheltenham Gold Cups.

And other equine giants have vindicated their trainer’s belief and followed where the great horse once trod.

Success was achieved twice in the Kempton showpiece with both See More Business and Silviniaco Conti scoring for the policeman’s son who decided it was more rewarding capturing races rather than chasing crooks.

Nicholls admits he does not have a horse measuring up to those legends of the past in this year’s contest, but he puts forward a positive case for his two runners – Politologue and Clan Des Obeaux.

“There are similarities between Politologue and Kauto and Clan Des Obeaux and Silviniaco Conti,” he explains. “You have to have jumping ability and you have to stay. Politologue might have all of them.

“He won a Tingle Creek Chase (two miles at Sandown) like Kauto did. He’s twice won over 2m 5f at Ascot which says he has stamina and he’s bred to stay.

“It’s not like we have avoided the situation of running him over a longer trip, it just has not arisen.

“Kauto ran over shorter trips. Kempton is not like running over three miles and two furlongs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. If the race took place at Cheltenham, I would be nervous.

“There are a lot of things in his favour really. The flat track suits him, going right-handed suits him and I am really sure the race will suit him.”

Opinion

Nicholls has never been frightened to express an opinion or take an action, traits which have never left him since his days as a teenager working in a bakery making doughnuts.

To escape from his mundane tasks, he rolled a batch of doughnuts in salt rather than sugar. Not surprisingly he was not asked to make doughnuts again.

Since leaving the bakehouse, he has epitomised what can be achieved by hard graft. After a rewarding career in the saddle, which was always going to be a struggle owing to his size, Nicholls embarked on a training career 27 years ago that has seen him climb to the top of his profession.

He has put his name on the trainers’ championship 10 times. And is now just 40-odd shy of sending out 3,000 winners from his Somerset stables in rural Ditcheat, where horses outnumber the villagers.

Nicholls has always ploughed his own furrow and he never ceases to surprise.

Harry Cobden’s appointment as his stable jockey in May raised a few eyebrows and given the current situation it was expected that he would take the ride on Politologue, but the former number one rider Sam Twiston-Davies will be back on the grey’s back.

“Sorting out jockeys was not difficult,” explains Nicholls. “Harry’s happy with Clan because he’s shown that he stays three miles. Sam is happy, so that’s ideal – it’s very much a team decision.”

Regarding the opposition Nicholls, as expected, is not shy of expressing his opinions. “Nicky (Henderson) would probably lynch me but I think Might Bite is a bit soft,” he said.

“He won last year’s King George but it was not the greatest King George.

“Bristol De Mai is a very good horse on his day but was well beaten in last year’s race. If he runs like he did at Haydock he’s the one we have to beat.

“It’s very, very open. But I think I’ve got two live chances.

“I love the race, I’ve been so lucky to have won it nine times. Obviously, the day Kauto Star won his fifth King George is the day I will never forget.

“It was the most amazing day, also for the people there. It was astonishing and, obviously, I would dearly love to win it for a 10th time.”