Pipe Salutes Old Rival

One training great hailed another yesterday as Martin Pipe paid a personal tribute to his former rival David Nicholson, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 67.

Pipe won the National Hunt trainers' championship no fewer than 15 times between the 1988-9 and 2004-5 seasons ? a period in which his domination was only interrupted when Nicholson stole the crown in the 1993-4 and 1994-5 campaigns.

The now-retired Pipe fondly recalled his past experiences with ?The Duke' and said he will be sorely missed.

'It came as a great shock to hear of the passing of such a great trainer,' he said.

'We had some great battles for the championship and he became champion in 1993-4 and 1994-5, which he thoroughly deserved.

'He was always very competitive and he was always a great supporter of Cheltenham ? we used to see him there at the meetings since he retired and we used to have a chat.

'He trained some brilliant horses and some great jockeys went through his hands as well.

'He'll be sadly missed and our thoughts go out to his wife Dinah and to his family ? it's a big blow.'

Since retiring in 1999, Nicholson had maintained an active interest in racing and was appointed British Horseracing Board bloodstock representative in March 2002.

He was charged with promoting British-bred horses in an attempt to maximise the sale and awareness of British bloodstock on a global scale, and after his success as a jockey and a trainer, it is perhaps unsurprising that he also made a vital contribution in this role.

'David was an outstanding trainer of jockeys as well as horses, and his achievements speak for themselves,' said BHB chairman Martin Broughton.

'He had also worked tirelessly for BHB and the British breeding industry in recent years, making an outstanding contribution in this sphere and striking up a number of extremely close relationships with members of our team.

'He was a wonderful man who will be greatly missed.'

Among others to express their admiration for Nicholson were Peter Scudamore, Richard Johnson, Richard Dunwoody, Alan King and Adrian Maguire.

They all underlined how their former boss helped them to realise their potential and enjoy blossoming careers in the sport they love.

'I started out with David as a kid ? after I left school I went straight to him,' explained Scudamore.

'For me, ?The Duke' was an absolutely fantastic mentor for a number of jockeys ? he taught us to do things correctly and prepared us for life as jockeys,' he said.

'Like his father before him, he was rightly considered among the elite of producing young riders.'

Those sentiments were echoed by Johnson, who added: 'He provided the best support I ever had when I was starting out ? he was second to none for giving advice and was fantastic to work for.

'He was a massive help to me, even after he retired.

'I'd speak to him regularly on the phone and he never missed anything that went on.'

Dunwoody enjoyed a hugely successful spell with Nicholson and the duo teamed up to lift the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Charter Party.

'It's very sad news to hear of David's passing away,' he said. 'I was with him for seven seasons in the 1980s and was champion jockey for one of those.

'He was a fantastic boss and it's hard to put into words how much I owed him as far as my career was concerned.

'We had some great times, such as our win with Charter Party in the 1988 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

'A lot of good jockeys went through his hands and, of course, was a fantastic horseman and jockey himself previously.

'I'd like to send my sympathies out to all of his family.'

Nicholson's retirement from training enabled his long-time assistant King to take over and he stressed he will be eternally grateful for the guidance he received.

'He played such an important part in my career for the best part of 15 years and that will never be forgotten,' he said.

'Not everyone agreed with everything he had to say but his principles were what made him the man he was and, invariably, he was right.

'He had such a love for the sport and he leaves behind so many legacies ? not least of all the work turning so many jockeys into great ones.'

Maguire formed one half of a partnership that blossomed in the mid 1990s.

As stable jockey, he enjoyed some memorable successes with his mentor but narrowly missed out on the riders' championship in the 1993-4 season, in which Nicholson lifted the trainers' title for the first time.

Notable victories for the Maguire-Nicholson combination included a win with Barton Bank in the 1993 King George VI Chase and success in the 1994 Queen Mother Champion Chase with Viking Flagship.

'I was with him for six years and he was a great man to ride for,' Maguire explained.

'I rode some fantastic horses for him including Viking Flagship, Relkeel, Barton Bank and Moorcroft Boy.

'When I was with him he was champion trainer for the first time and although I didn't pull off being champion jockey myself, I rode lots and lots of winners for him ? more than Peter Scudamore and Richard Dunwoody put together I think.

'At the time, the choice of trainers for me was between Nicholson and Martin Pipe and I chose Nicholson ? he was an absolutely brilliant trainer.'

By Thomas Deane and Victoria Parker, PA Sport

(C) PA Sport