Leading owner Johnny de la Hey has removed all horses from Paul Nicholls, marking a significant shift in their long-standing partnership. This decision affects 11 horses, which will now be trained by multiple trainers, reshaping the landscape of jumps racing.
The De La Heys had nearly all their jumps horses with Nicholls since the 2009-10 season. Their collaboration produced remarkable results, including 123 jumps winners from 652 runners and a striking 19 percent strike rate. Notably, Cyrname won the Ascot Chase in 2019 by an impressive 17 lengths under Nicholls’ training.
However, the recent removal of horses signals a change in direction for the De La Heys. Of the 11 horses taken away from Nicholls’ stable:
7 will now be trained by Dan Skelton. and 4 will be divided between Jamie Snowden and Chris Gordon.
Nicholls expressed disappointment over this development, stating, “It’s disappointing after all the success we have had together.” He added, “I’ve never had to deal with that in my career and I did find it hard – you start asking yourself what you’re doing wrong.” Yet he remains resilient, saying, “I’ve been in the game long enough to take these things on the chin.”
This shake-up not only affects Nicholls but also raises questions about how the horses will perform under new trainers. For instance, Old Park Star won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle after leaving Nicholls, and Kabral Du Mathan clinched the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham post-departure.
The De La Heys enjoyed considerable success during their time with Nicholls, amassing £3,754,638 in prize-money. As they embark on this new chapter with different trainers, both owners and trainers alike will be watching closely to see how these changes unfold within the competitive world of horse racing.
