Paul Nicholls

The reigning champion trainer tells Martha Terry about his big-race contenders, a reformed tearaway and why Bryony Frost might become the first woman to win the Grand National

- Martha Terry

THERE’S a hallowed selection of boxes on the right as you enter Paul Nicholls’ yard, which is built halfway up a hill on a dairy farm in the Mendips, Somerset. The stable doors are adorned with green plaques, denoting previous incumbents’ Grade One successes. A whole wall is dedicated to the exploits of Kauto Star who, among his 16 Grade One wins, landed two Gold Cups and five King Georges just over a decade ago.

“At one point, we had these five boxes filled with Denman, Kauto Star, Master Minded, Big Buck’s and Neptune Collonges,” says Paul, reeling off the names of his former stars. “That could never happen again, but the funny thing about these boxes is that we don’t purposefully put the best horses in them but the biggest horses, because they are the biggest boxes. There’s obviously a correlation between the biggest horses winning the top races.”

Paul heads over to “Master Minded’s box” — the 2008 and 2009 champion chaser — where the latest Nicholls star, Clan Des Obeaux, is contentedly munching on his hay. The 17hh Clan — like previous members of this stable block, Kauto Star, See More Business and Silviniaco Conti — is a dual King George winner. He hacked up in this season’s renewal, trouncing his stablemate Cyrname by 21 lengths. Next stop, the Gold Cup.

“He’s in seriously good order and goes to Cheltenham with an outstanding chance,” says Paul of the eight-year-old. “They said it was the hottest King George for years and he showed how much he’s improved. Clifford [Baker, head lad] thinks he’s 10lb better than last season. I think he’s under-rated. One day we’ll hit the jackpot with him.”

Paul points to a gap among Master Minded’s plaques and laughs: “There’s space for a Gold Cup one here.”