F EATURE SPOTLIGHT ON TRAINERS
Training powerhouses Paul Nicholls and Henry de Bromhead share top tips on the new season’s up-and-coming horses Ten toWatch in 2021-22
F or Nicholls, the 2020-21 season ended with a personal best of 176 winners, six Grade One victories and a 12th UK Champion Trainer title. De Bromhead, meanwhile, set new records, becoming the first trainer to win the Unibet Champion Hurdle, the Betway Queen Mother
Champion Chase and the WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup at the same Festival. He then saddled Minella Times to glory in the Randox Grand National at Aintree three weeks later. Here, in their own words, they each pick out five horses we should be watching closely when the 2021-22 season gets underway.
PAUL NICHOLLS
Frodon “He had a tough season, although he won the King George, which surprised us a little bit, and then he went and won the Oaksey Chase. I don’t see any point
Clan Des Obeaux “He’s the highest-rated Jump horse in Great Britain now. We’re going to change tack completely with him this season. He won’t go to the Betfair Chase, which he has done for the past two years. He’ll have a little extra time out and then start off by going straight to the King George VI Chase at Kempton – on
Boxing Day – nice and fresh. Then he’ll have little break and go to Newbury for the Denman Chase, then back to Aintree for the Betway Bowl and on to the Punchestown Gold Cup again. He was on the form of his life this year. It didn’t quite happen for him in the King George last season, but I look forward to going back there with him, as he’s won it twice. I’d be very surprised if Harry Cobden gets off him to ride anything else this season.”
in running him in the Cheltenham
Gold Cup this season, as he doesn’t really get the trip there. Where I start him this season, I don’t know. I’d say we’ll have one run
with him and then go for the King George. Then I wouldn’t be afraid to go to the Dublin Festival for the three-mile chase, as I think that would suit him well. The plan in the spring would be to end up at Sandown again for the Oaksey Chase. He’s remarkable and I’m sure there’s another Grade One in him.”
24 KALENDAR
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