Champion trainer Paul Nicholls had a record-breaking year at his Ditcheat yard in the 2022/23 season, amassing 163 across the jumps season.
He spoke exclusively to Betfair to give his thoughts for the season, plus his plans for next season – including which races he will be sending stable star Bravemansgame to!
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Looking Back At A Record-Breaking Season
It’s been brilliant from the start. We had 163 winners, won a 14th trainers championship and record prize money – it has gone really well since October when we got going.
Winning the King George with Bravemansgame was special. We had set our stall out for two years to win that race, we knew he had the ability to do it, everything went right with his prep and he was very good on the day.
But when you have had a season like we have had, it is hard to pick just one highlight. It has been phenomenal, I have enjoyed every minute of it. I know the staff at home have worked so hard and they deserve all of the plaudits they get.
We have kept close to about a 28% strike rate and had six grade one winners – it’s been a fantastic season and we have a lot of smart, young horses for the 2023/24 season.
I know we have a few to run this summer but it all starts in October. We have been buying a lot of nice young horses already to strengthen the team and we can’t wait for October to come around.
Bravemansgame’s Plans For The 2023/24 Campaign
He’s been brilliant. He started by winning the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, then won at Kempton in the King George, which is a race we really like to win. Then he ran second in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, which was a fantastic run, then he ran very well at Punchestown too.
He’s a top-class chaser. I still think he can physically improve a little bit and will go out to grass in about ten days time.
We will start off next season with the same route – one run before the King George, which could possibly be the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November, which is a race we love to win, then go on to Kempton and then I suppose the Gold Cup, so it’s pretty well mapped out what he will do next season.
Harry Cobden’s Best Rides Of The Season
He had 117 winners this season – I know he didn’t win the jockeys championship, but he won £1million more in prize money than Brian Hughes, who was champion jockey with 166 winners, so Harry is going for the quality races, which is what we are aiming at. He’s done very very well.
One of his best rides of the season – well there were two, actually – firwas Pic D’Orhy at Aintree, and Stage Star at Cheltenham, they were both right out of the top drawer. You can rewatch them both here ⬇
Pic D’Orhy (Marsh Melling Chase, Aintree)
Stage Star (Turners Novices’ Chase, Cheltenham)
Horses To Watch Next Season
Stay Away Fay will be a nice horse to go novice chasing with and so is Hermes Allen. They are both on a par with each other really and will both go novice chasing next season, they both won their grade ones, along with Tahmuras who won the Tolworth Hurdle – they are all exciting horses to go chasing with next season.
Our other winner at Cheltenham was Stage Star, though he underperformed at Aintree but that’s not unlike him, but he had probably done plenty. We learned our lesson after Cheltenham that we would probably just finish him next year after the Festival.
Pic D’Orhy has had a fantastic season, he just kept on winning and ended up winning a grade one (the Marsh Chase at Aintree) – the improvement in him has been phenomenal. He will have a nice summer out with Bravemansgame and he will be an interesting horse next year.
It’s exciting to have all those Aintree and Cheltenham winners and to have so many nice, young horses coming through.
Bumper Line Up Of Bumper Horses Next Season
Captain Teague is one of a number of exciting bumper horses, there is Marvellous Mick, Larchmont Lass, Inthewaterside – the list goes on and on! I think we had 20 bumper winners from 18 different horses and they can all go novice hurdling next season which is really exciting.
We will have 16 horses running in bumpers next year, so we have got a nice production line of young horses for next year.
It all sounds promising for the Champion trainer – We wish him the best of luck in breaking even more records next season!
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