Which horse was Paul Nicholls’ first Cheltenham Festival winner?

Which horse was Paul Nicholls' first Cheltenham Festival winner? Paul Nicholls has come a long way since he arrived at Manor Farm Stables in Ditcheat, Somerset with just eight horses. With the possible exception of his landlord, Paul Barber, no-one could really have predicted his rise to the top of his profession, where he has remained for over two decades. Nicholls did not become Champion National Hunt Trainer for the first time until 2005/06, but has done so a further eleven times since and remains one of just three men – the other two being Martin Pipe, who retired in 2006, and Nicky Henderson – to have won the trainers’ title since the turn of the century.

As far as the Cheltenham Festival is concerned, Nicholls has saddled 46 winners and until 2021, when he drew a blank, had saddled at least one winner every year since 2002. He has won the Leading Trainer Award at the Cheltenham Festival six times, including on 1999, the year in which he saddled his first winner at the March showpiece. His first winner was, in fact, Flagship Uberalles in the Arkle Challenge Trophy on the opening day, but he also saddled Call Equiname to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase and See More Business to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup later in the week.

When does the Flat jockeys’ championship start and finish?

When does the Flat jockeys' championship start and finish? Traditionally, the Flat jockeys’ championship was decided on the number of winners ridden between Lincoln Day at Doncaster, in late March or early April, and November Handicap Day at the same venue, in early November. Those dates corresponded to the start and finish of the well-established Flat racing season on turf. However, since the advent of Flat racing on synthetic, or ‘all-weather’, surfaces in 1989, the start and finish of the turf season have become less meaningful. Indeed, the continued expansion of the all-weather programme has meant that Flat racing takes place on all bar three days of the year.

That said, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has recognised the dangers of jockeys ‘burning out’ in pursuit of the title and taken steps to rectify the situation. Since 2015, the Flat jockeys’ championship has been decided on the number of winners ridden, on turf or all-weather surfaces, between the start of the Guineas Festival at Newmarket and the British Champions’ Day. Thus, in 2021, the Flat jockeys’ championship starts on May 1 and ends on October 16, making it about eight weeks shorter than the traditional championship.

Of course, since racing resumed in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, jockeys have been restricted to riding at one meeting a day. The BHA plans to review this rule in due course, but the days of jockeys taking 1,200 or more rides in a calendar year are probably gone for good.

Will Tiger Roll attempt to win a third Grand National?

Although perhaps not quite a household name, Tiger Roll requires little or no introduction. For the uninitiated, in 2019 Tiger Roll became the first horse since Red Rum, in 1974, to win back-to-back renewals of the Grand National. The diminutive horse, who stands just 15.2 hands high and was once described as ‘a little rat of a thing’ by owner Michael O’Leary, was denied the chance to complete an unprecedented hat-trick when the Grand National was cancelled, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2020.

In 2021, the Grand National returned, but O’Leary took exception to the handicap mark of 166 awarded to Tiger Roll by British Horseracing Authority (BHA) handicapper, Martin Greenwood, and withdrew his horse several weeks before the race. Nevertheless, Tiger Roll headed to the Cheltenham Festival for what had previously been his preparatory race for the Grand National, the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase. He won, easily, reversing previous form with 2020 winner, Easyland, to the tune of 35 lengths, leaving O’Leary keen on the idea of a return to Aintree for the Grand National in 2022. He said, ‘Red Rum was dropped 7lb as a 12-year-old. Hopefully, Tiger will get the chance to go back to Aintree.’At the time of writing, Tiger Roll is a top-priced 33/1 to emulate Red Rum and win his third Grand National in five years.

Which was the first British-trained horse home in the 2021 Grand National?

Following what was termed a ‘greenwash’ at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival, where Irish-trained horses secured a record 23-5 victory over their British-trained counterparts in the Prestbury Cup, the 2021 Grand National proved to be an equally one-sided affair. At Aintree, British-trained horses, including the favourite, Cloth Cap, comprised 22 of the 40-strong field field.

However, of those 22 runners, just three – priced at 50/1, 50/1 and 100/1 – completed the course and just one finished in the first ten horses home. Of course, victory went to Minella Times, trained by Henry de Bromhead and ridden by Rachael Blackmore, who made history by becoming the first female jockey to win the Grand National. Minella Times was followed home by stable companion Balko Des Flos, Any Second Now, trained by Ted Walsh, Burrows Saint, trained by Willie Mullins and Farclas, trained by Denise Foster, to complete an Irish 1-2-3-4-5.

The horse that fared best of the British-trained contigent was Blaklion, who had started favourite for the Grand National when a highly creditable fourth behind One For Arthur in 2017, when trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies. Nowadays a doughty 12-year-old, in the charge of Dan Skelton, Blaklion was sent off at 50/1, but ran perfectly respectfully, weakening from the final fence to finish sixth, 37 lengths behind the winner.

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