Paul Nicholls


Ditcheat, Somerset

A person wearing a flat cap smiles while holding two horses facing each other.

Paul began training a mere eight horses from his Ditcheat base in 1991, following a successful career as a jump jockey. Since then, Paul has grown to become one of the country’s most successful trainers, amassing more than 3,900 winners and over 150 Grade 1 winners. Paul has been Champion Trainer fourteen times and is regularly successful in Britain’s biggest races, training four Cheltenham Gold Cup winners, thirteen King George VI winners and a Grand National winner. 

Paul has trained multiple superstars such as the phenomenal Kauto Star, who won a record-breaking five King Georges and is the only horse to have regained his Gold Cup crown. Big Bucks won him four World Hurdles, Master Minded was a two-time winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Denman won two Hennessy Gold Cups and toppled Kauto Star to win the 2008 Gold Cup at Cheltenham. Not to mention Neptune Collonges winning the 2012 Grand National. 

As a 50 time Cheltenham Festival winning trainer, Paul is revered in National Hunt circles. His most recent Grade One winners include No Drama This End, Caldwell Potter, Pic d’Orhy, and looking further back, Bravemansgame, Stay Away Fay and Stage Star. There are few trainers able to match Paul’s capacity to continually saddle winners, having won more than £2 million in prize money every season for the past twenty-four years. 

Highclere Thoroughbred Racing is delighted to have links with such a successful trainer. Highclere has enjoyed success in partnership with Paul through black type performers Danse Idol, If You Say Run and Posh Trish. We are looking forward to the season ahead, and to many more successes with Team Ditcheat.