Paul Nicholls, the son of a policeman, switched from David Barons’ stable jockey to assistant with the Devon‐based trainer. Two years later he set up on his own with eight horses at stables owned by dairy farmer Paul Barber in the small Somerset village of Ditcheat.
It was the start of an operation which was to become the most powerful in British National Hunt racing. It took Nicholls just two years to win his first Grade 1 prize when See More Indians won the Feltham Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The race is, coincidentally, now named after Kauto Star, Nicholls’ most famous horse. Currently, the 12‐times Champion Trainer has won 133 Grade 1 races.
See More Business was responsible for three of those when twice winning the King George V Chase before giving Nicholls his first Cheltenham Gold Cup victory in 1999.
It was a memorable Cheltenham Festival for Nicholls. Wins for Flagship Uberalles in the Arkle Trophy and Call Equiname in the Queen Mother Champion Chase announced his arrival in the big time. He has been the dominant force ever since.