Nicholls on verge of Cheltenham landmark Paul Nicholls could reach another landmark by saddling his 150th winner at Cheltenham this weekend. The British champion trainer goes into the two-day International Meeting at Prestbury Park on the 149 mark. His tally includes 30 victories at The Festival in March, where he has been leading trainer on six occasions (2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2004 and 1999). The trainer has achieved four successes in each of the two main championship chases at The Festival - the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup (1999 See More Business, 2007 & 2009 Kauto Star, 2008 Denman) and the sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase (1999 Call Equiname, 2004 Azertyuiop, 2008 & 2009 Master Minded). The scale of Nicholls' achievements is illustrated by the fact that he now stands fourth in the all-time list of winning-most trainers at Cheltenham behind Martin Pipe, Fulke Walwyn and Fred Rimell. Nicholls said: "I was very surprised to be told earlier in the week that I am just one away from 150 winners at Cheltenham. I had no idea that I have had so much success at the home of Jump racing. "And to find that only Martin Pipe, Fulke Walwyn and Fred Rimell have trained more winners at the course, it is an achievement of which I am very proud, as you can imagine. "Cheltenham not only hosts the best National Hunt racing but also the most fiercely competitive. "It certainly seems a long, long time since See More Indians got the Cheltenham ball rolling for me at this meeting 18 years ago - on December 10, 1993, to be precise. "We have had some great days at the course, including four-timers on big days, and only last month we had six winners at The Open. "We have been fortunate enough to have had so many Festival winners; I believe our tally currently stands at 30. Flagship Uberalles was my first Festival winner in the 1999 Arkle and that win initiated a week that will live long in my memory, as Call Equiname and See More Business won the Champion Chase and Gold Cup respectively over the next two days. "I have been lucky enough to win four Gold Cups and four Champion Chases as well as three World Hurdles, but I would dearly love to win a Champion Hurdle which is the one race that has eluded me that I want to win. "What makes any success at Cheltenham so special is that it is the ultimate test of all aspects of horsemanship; be it training, jockeyship and obviously of the horse itself. "And Cheltenham is a tremendously-run racecourse, as well as being visually stunning. Quite simply, it is unique in all aspects."
