Paul Nicholls Stable Tour 2026/27 - Key quotes from leading British trainer

He went to Newbury at the end of last October for their public gallops morning as part of his preparation for a return in the Betfair and worked fine but when we checked him in the evening, we discovered he had done some damage to his off-fore tendon. We knew immediately he wouldn’t be going anywhere for 12 months but he was scanned in July, and everything is A1. He will be back in full training in mid-autumn and could possibly run around Christmas. We haven’t decided where he will start off but idea is to run in the Cotswold Chase at the end of January and then the Gold Cup. It’s just fantastic to have him back with us.

It a great thrill for all of us when he won the Old Roan Chase at Aintree first time out as he had been the been runner-up in so many races previously off the past three years. Aintree was his crowning moment, and he will follow that well-trodden route again and go for the Old Roan for a fifth time.

He is very exciting prospect for novice chases this season and was our leading staying novice hurdler last year. He isn’t a flashy worker at home but certainly displayed his ability on the racetrack and gave us plenty to think about when winning a Grade 2 at Cheltenham last November on his hurdling debut. We took him to Sandown three weeks later for the Winter Novices’ Hurdle and it was much the same and then it was onto the Challow at Newbury at the end of December. I was little worried the race might have come a bit too soon but those fear ssoon dismissed and he provided us with our fifth win in that Grade 1 in the past six years. We gave him a break to freshen him up for the Turners but after a false start he got left a bit standing at the start and also ran into a load of trouble and Harry called it a day two out. He hardly had a race at Cheltenham, and we took him to Aintree for the Mersey Novices’ but he had a trickle of blood in nose when he came out of the lorry so we took him out. We were still keen to give him one more run, so we took him to Perth for a listed race and it was business as normal. He will go over fences now where he should relish three miles and plenty of cut in the ground. I imagine we will start him off in a Beginners’ Chase and then step up in Grade. Hopefully, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow will be the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham in March.

We have always thought the world about him, but he has been an immature horse and that still told in his novice chase season. I hoped he would turn out to be a Graded horse in a handicap when we took him to the novice handicap at the Festival but the extended two and a half mile trip wasn’t far enough for him. We stuck to our plan to go for the Grade 1 Mildmay and he ran a cracker to finish second to ill-fated Gold Dancer. He’s had a wind op over the summer and, hopefully, we will see the more finished article this season with the Coral Gold Cup his first big objective. I still have every confidence he will develop into a top-class chaser.

We shelved the idea of going chasing and after being a little ring-rusty in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Chepstow when finishing sixth to Celtic Dino he stepped up significantly on that run in the Gerry Feilden at Newbury. We gave him a little break and laid him out for the valuable William Hill Handicap Hurdle at Newbury and he ended up with top weight after an 8lb rise. He was awesome on that day and won as he wanted and that performance left us contemplating the Champion Hurdle. We went ahead with that plan despite the ground being no worse than good to soft and in the event it proved an anti-climax. We then took him to the Scottish Champion Hurdle and he was still just in front when falling two out. We will now go novice chasing and he could go to Ffos Las next week. He has schooled well over fences and as long as he respects his fences a bit more than he respected his hurdles at the end of last season, we will be in business. He is deadly over fence from what we gave seen at home so fingers crossed, he can take us a lot further.

She's a lovely mare and she obviously won her second point-to-point in Ireland. She’s not the biggest and could start in a bumper before going novice hurdling.

We have given her time as she sustained a small injury, but she could have run in the spring. We have been patient with her, and she will run in mares’ novices’ hurdles. She does everything right at home, but she wants plenty of cut in the ground and we will have to wait until she gets her conditions.

He looks a real galloper and is an interesting contender for staying novice hurdles.

He will be one for staying novice hurdles. He is a half-brother to Galliard Du Mesnil and he jumps great at home.

He looks a real stunner, and I hope he’s one to follow in novice hurdles. He won his point-to-point well and we will start him off over two and a half miles. He has done everything right so far and looks like an exciting prospect.

He was bought at the Tattersalls December Sale at Cheltenham after finishing second in his point-to-point and we gave him plenty of time to settle in. The wait was worth it as he powered home by ten lengths in his bumper at Chepstow in April. He could develop into one of our best novice hurdles and, hopefully, there are exciting times ahead with him.

He looked a very useful prospect when winning his bumper at Exeter in March even though he was green as grass. He has schooled well over hurdles, and I am looking forward to his novice campaign.

He is quite an exciting prospect to go novice hurdling. He ran second in a bumper at Fontwell and then didn’t disgrace himself in a listed won by Bass Hunter at Ascot. He’ll want two and a half mile and plenty of cut in the ground, but we like him a lot.

He looks a very exciting prospect, and I have loved him since day one. He had done everything right before his bumper debut at Chepstow in March and he won as we expected.

She won’t be seen until the middle of winter as she wants plenty of cut in the ground. She’s a big mare and she goes chasing off 112. I think she’s well handicapped. She ran well in the Herring Queen Mares’ Novices Handicap Hurdle at Kelso in March on ground that wouldn’t have suited her, and the track was also a bit tight.

He didn’t take to chasing so we took him back to his beloved Sandown and he was beat a short head, but the ground was much more to his liking on a return visit at the end of January when it was really bottomless and he won easily. He ran well when runner-up in the Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock and we will have another go in Graded company when the mud is flying but his Gold Cup could be that £100,000 handicap hurdle at Sandown.

He is a gorgeous horse I have loved from day one and he did nothing to change that opinion in his first season. He beat Act Of Innocence on his first outing for us, and I knew he was a good horse as I trained him previously. I thought Minella Yoga was a good thing for the Novices’ Championship Final at Sandown in April but the ground too quick and probably one race too many. I think he could have a run somewhere and then go for the Gerry Feilden at Newbury that we won with Tutti Quanti last year. He looks an ideal chasing type, but we will see how gets on over hurdles before taking any further steps.

He was still very green when easily winning his two hurdles for us at Newton Abbot in May and June and still has a lot of growing up to do. Hopefully he is going to improve plenty more with further experience.

He has been amazingly consistent and has won the same two races at Kempton and Wincanton three years running. This won’t happen this time around as they have moved the two-mile listed race to Carlisle. He is about 10lb short of the best hurdlers, but he is a wonderful horse to have around.

He may be one of our darker horses. He has a second win op and he probably the best he’s ever looked. He always looked quite light last season, and I would like to think he looked well handicapped off 118. His bumper form was very good and, hopefully, we’ll see better from him.

He is a very promising horse who has done nothing but progress since we sent him over hurdles. He took care of two previous winners when successful at Perth and probably won a bit too far. He was a first winner for us for the Paddy Brennan Racing Syndicate and they’ve got a nice horse on their hands. He was put up 12lb for his Perth win and he’ll probably go novice chasing.

He had a setback last year, but we’ve got him back this season and he will go novice chasing. Hopefully, he is a horse we can have a bit of fun with.

He’ll be up to winning off a mark of 112 and I think we will have a lot of fun with him when we send him chasing.

He ran a very good race to finish fourth to Saratoga in the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival and put up another solid effort when third to Melon in the conditional/amateurs handicap hurdle at Aintree. He will start off in one or two handicap hurdles but then is likely go novice chasing. He’ll definitely want two and a half miles over fences and is an exciting prospect.

He was our second biggest money earner last season when winning almost £91,000 in the Midlands Grand National. Harry Cobden had been saying to me for ages that a race like that would suit him and he proved a revelation when staying on dourly for Sam Twiston-Davies. He went to Ayr for the Scottish National and got his ground again, but he made a right hash of the third last and that put paid to his winning chance and finished fourth. He looks tailor-made for the Welsh National if the ground is in his favour and we will look at all those long-distance handicaps. He is probably at his best when fresh and he’ll have an entry in the Grand National.

He has been a stable stalwart and after a disappointing 2024/25 season he showed all his old zest and, aided with the first-time cheekpieces, was able to reverse form with his old rival Genois at Haydock in a Veterans’ Series Final at Haydock in April. The valuable Veterans’ races will be on the agenda again.

It’s amazing to think he is still a maiden over fences after some sterling efforts last season. His close third in the Ultima was particularly noteworthy and, as he is still a maiden over fences, there are stacks of options for him. He wants two miles four to three miles on a left-handed track and he could go for an Intermediate Chase at Newton Abbot in early October to get him started and then possibly the Paddy Power.

Like a lot of Kapgarde’s he has proven a different proposition since we sent him over a fence. He’s improved the best part of a stone since go chasing and has won all three of his races. He has enjoyed a mid-summer break and will be back shortly for novice or handicap chases on good ground. The Badger Beer could be a race for him.

He is a horse that usually a better horse in the spring, but he ran pretty consistently throughout last season without winning this time around. He starts the season off 130, and the handicapper has given him a chance. We aim to have him ready for some of those valuable two-mile handicap chases on fast ground in the autumn.

He started off the season winning off a mark of 137 and is now 152 but he’s developed into a pretty smart chaser. He will take his chance in some of the better two-and-a-half-mile handicap chases on left-handed galloping track. He could go for the Charlie Hall if it was to cut up.

He was ridden by my daughter Olive in all his starts under Rules and provided her with the fairytale first leg of a double at Newton Abbot in May when she announced her retirement. He seems to stay better as he gets older and that opens up more options. We will have a look at the Badger Beer for him.

He’s by Nathaniel and he’s one we quite like. He goes well at home and will be seen in a bumper.

He won a four-year-old maiden point-to-point in Ireland and at the beginning of May. We are learning about and he will start off in a bumper somewhere.

He is a gorgeous horse who was massively impressive in his point-to-point, and I would imagine he will start off in a bumper in October or November. He has a lot of potential, and we are looking forward to getting him going.

He looks very much one for a bumper this autumn. He is half-brother to Jetara who did so well for Jessica Harrington and he has looked good in his work.

There were only three runners, but he won his point-to-point in a fast time and the runner-up Holshot won next time. I like what I have seen so far, and he’ll start off in a bumper and then go novice hurdling.

He is a son of Maxios who did his pre-training in Ireland in the spring. He’s going very well at home, and made his debut at Chepstow on Sunday.

He is another of the unraced four-year-olds that I really like and is from a nice family. He went well in a racecourse gallop in the spring and has continued to impress me in his work at home. He is one to look forward to in bumpers.

He was second in his point-to-point and is a half-brother to three winners including smart chasers Firefox and The Bosses Oscar. He’s probably start off in a bumper.

He was the Sales Topper at the Goffs Aintree Sale in the Spring when bought by Anthony Bromley and he was adamant this horse was the pick of the Sale. He was impressive in his only point-to-point and he will start off in a bumper and we’ll go from there.