News about Paul Nicholls

It was always going to be a mighty task for Dan Skelton and Paul Nicholls to peg back the 67-year-old but they were left floundering after Mullins enjoyed two winners at Sandown, including a thrilling success of Minella Cocooner in the historic Bet365 Gold Cup. His triumph, the first by an Irishman since Vincent O'Brien in 1954, was secured when El Fabiolo pocketed £30,413 for finishing second to Jonbon in the Celebration Chase to give him an unassailable lead. How he made sure, though, in the races that followed.

Standing in front of a camera on the day titles are decided requires ruthlessness. There is always the potential for two stories but one, immediately, will be ditched. I'll give you an example. In May 2012, I presented the deciding afternoon in the Premier League, when Manchester City and Manchester United were embroiled in an epic battle for the trophy. I can still recite every line of Martin Tyler's commentary for Sergio Aguero's famous winning goal against QPR and still remember the minute detail of the day. But United at Sunderland? I know they won 1-0, but that's about it.

INTERVIEW BY DOMINIC KING: Once in a lifetime are the words Willie Mullins conjures to describe this historic week and his son, Patrick, sees no reason to disagree. There will come a point when they can reflect on it all but, for now, Patrick's head is spinning. Just recounting the logistics of the attempt to wrestle Britain's Champion Trainer title from Dan Skelton and Paul Nicholls is enough to leave you breathless and you will soon see why. In the last seven days, Patrick - an integral part of his father's all-conquering operation - has taken seven flights, one train journey, covered more than 1000 miles on the road, sat through a nerve-shredding penalty shootout and had the favourite for the Scottish National refuse to race.

Paul Nicholls is bemused by Bryony Frost's lack of outside opportunities and questioned why she is more popular with British racegoers than trainers. Frost has been an integral part of Nicholls's all-conquering set up at Ditcheat and she became the first female jockey to win the King George VI Chase at Kempton when partnering Frodon to success on Boxing Day 2020. She also won on that gelding at the Cheltenham Festival. But Frost has endured a challenging time in recent seasons, particularly after a high-profile disciplinary case in which it was deemed fellow jockey Robbie Dunne had bullied her over a prolonged period of time.

The margin was tiny but the implication was huge. Willie Mullins had launched an Ayr raid, aiming to make history, and the pixels in the photograph at the end of a thrilling Coral Scottish National confirmed he had hit the target. Mullins had only sent five runs to this vibrant track on Scotland's West Coast in 36 years, never having trained a winner but how he changed that on a seismic afternoon. Macdermott provided him with a first success in the feature race but there were another three for good measure. Usually, you would anticipate the odds being short but not this time.

Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Saturday's meetings at Ayr, Newbury, Bangor-on-Dee, Thirsk, Brighton and Nottingham.

Trainer Paul Nicholls has 10 runners at Ayr on Saturday, including two in the Scottish Grand National. Leading jump jockey Harry Cobden rides young chasing star Stay Away Fay in the feature race at 15.35. Here, the Betfair ambassador shares his thoughts on his ten runners at Ayr on Saturday afternoon.

How appropriate that Willie Mullins has a runner at Ayr called Klarc Kent as his rivals must feel like they are trying to fight Superman. When you spend time talking to Ireland's master trainer, you get to pick up on the little subtleties in his answers; the pauses and the deliberations that let you read between the lines and understand his true feelings. It happened at Aintree seven days ago. Basking in the glow of I Am Maximus's display of brute force in the Grand National, Mullins had just leapt to the top of the British Trainers' Championship and he was asked about the possibility of making history.

Bookies Paddy Power has paid out eight days early on Willie Mullins winning the UK National Hunt Trainers Championship. The legendary Irish trainer is just £30,000 ahead of Harry Skelton in the standings, with Paul Nicholls  just over £118,000 behind in third. Mullins is bidding to become the first Irish trainer to grab the championship since Vincent O'Brien, who won back-to-back titles in 1952/53 and 1953/54 seasons.

DOMINIC KING: It's the time of year when football managers, in the thick of a title race, sit in front of TV cameras and are economical with their views. 'We're just concentrating on what we do,' they tell you, even though you both know the opposite is true. They are all aware what steps their rivals are making, who they have to play and what fixtures on the run to the line are fraught with danger. The Premier League is so compelling this season because three giants are all matching strides approaching the final furlong: the odds-on favourite, Manchester City, might have just poked their nose in front but their two pursuers, Arsenal and Liverpool, still have plenty to give.

Paul Nicholls has four horses set to run at Cheltenham on Wednesday, including Lallygag in the Kingston Stud Handicap Hurdle. Other horses trained by Nicholls in action will be Il Ridoto, Rare Middleton and Wild Max. Here, Betfair ambassador Nicholls runs us through his horses before they take to the track on Wednesday. 

Paul Nicholls and Dan Skelton have come out fighting and insisted their ambitions of becoming Champion trainer have not been derailed by Willie Mullins' magnificent Aintree. Mullins has made it clear he is determined to become the first Irishman since Vincent O'Brien in 1954 to win the British title and he is now in pole position thanks to I Am Maximus running away with the Randox Grand National. His prize fund is £2.87million Such is Mullins's determination to get over the line, having been pipped at the post on his most recent attempt in 2016, he told Mail Sport there is likely to be an impact on Paul Townend's attempt to become Champion Jockey in Ireland.

DOMINIC KING AT AINTREE: Willie Mullins hailed I Am Maximus as a "galloping machine" as he handed him his second victory in the Randox Grand National - and propelled him towards a first trainers' title. I Am Maximus was sent off the 7/1 favourite for the 176th running of the Aintree spectacular and ended up demolishing his 31 rivals under jockey Paul Townend. It has been an incredible spring for the partnership, who won the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival.

The final day of the Grand National Festival at Aintree features Britain's most watched horse race. Trainer Lucinda Russell and partner Peter Scudamore are sticking with the winning formula as Corach Rambler chases back-to-back Grand National wins. Mail Sport dishes up a serving of Grand National Breakfast, taking a look at everything happening on and off the iconic racecourse.

Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Saturday's meetings at Chelmsford City, Yarmouth, Newcastle, Chepstow and Wolverhampton.   Robin Goodfellow

Trainer Paul Nicholls will seek to finish on a high on Grand National Day at Aintree. Record buy Caldwell Potter makes his debut for the trainer in the Turners Mersey Novices' Hurdle. Here, the Betfair ambassador shares his thoughts on his four runners at Aintree on Saturday.

Dan Skelton is adamant he will not let the race to be crowned champion trainer consume his every thought as the three-way battle intensifies. Kateira was an important winner for Skelton on Ladies' Day, adding £32,280 to his prize fund that now stands at more than £2.7million. It was a mixed day for Skelton's rivals. Paul Nicholls was out of luck, but Willie Mullins had a double.

Trainer Paul Nicholls has high hopes of success on day two of the Grand National meeting at Aintree. Classy Pic D'Orhy seeks to claim back-to-back wins in the Melling Chase. Here, the Betfair ambassador shares his thoughts on his six runners at Aintree on Friday.

How costly might it all be? They know all about tight title races in this city, so there was something symbolic about the breathless outcome to the Aintree Hurdle: the impact could be yet be profound. Impaire Et Passe, trained by Willie Mullins, had a nose and a short head separating him from Bob Olinger, the apple of Henry de Bromhead's eye, and Dan Skelton's Langer Dan. This was everything a Grade One horse race should be, competitive and spell-binding.

Paul Nicholls has some great hopes on day one of the Grand National meeting at Aintree. Ginny's Destiny will seek to build on his impressive Cheltenham performance in the Manifesto Novices' Chase. Here, the Betfair ambassador shares his thoughts on his 13 runners at Aintree and Taunton on Thursday.

The competition for the title of Champion Jump Jockey is close, but do not expect it to affect Harry Cobden or Sean Bowen. With a friendship that goes back to their school days, there is no chance of emotions boiling over between these two riders as Cobden, who has won 667 rides so far, looks to keep his 14-winner advantage over Bowen. Mail Sport discovered the bread of the men's friendship on a video call on Friday during a weather-forced break from the sport, as well as an unexpected promise.

Robin Goodfellow, Mail Sport's racing specialist, shares his advice for Saturday's meetings in Meydan, Musselburgh, Haydock, Wolverhampton, and Carlisle.

MARCUS TOWNEND: Among the 22 horses scratched from the Randox Grand National at yesterday's new forfeit stage, Monbeg Genius has been dragged out of a source of potential embarrassment for racing. Baroness Michelle Mone and her partner Doug Barrowman, who have been placed on a restraint order for some of their assets during an investigation into a £200 million agreement to supply PPE to the NHS during the Covid pandemic, have a Jonjo O'Neill-trained gelding. Monbeg Genius was not among the frozen assets, and the sport feared a public reaction if the gelding had won the £1 million steeplechase on April 13. After his third appearance in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in November, the eight-year-old looked like a hero, but he had a rough start at Kelso and the Cheltenham Festival earlier this year.

MARCUS TOWNEND: The form guide to last week's Cheltenham Festival, I believe, started slowly but ended well. The fact that the attendance was up on Friday for a thrilling running of the Boodles Gold Cup with Galopin Des Champs delivering a show that would have graced any Festival does not distract from the problems that Jockey Club Racecourses, the owners of Cheltenham, need to address. Willie Mullins' nomination of the sport for one and the unpalatable increase of accommodation rates in the area by hotels and B&Bs are keeping some racegoers out of the game before they even consider purchasing tickets in the middle of a cost of living crisis.