Paul Nicholls (born 17 April 1962) is a British National Hunt horse trainer and former jockey with stables at Ditcheat, Somerset. Regular Jockeys include Ruby Walsh, Christian Williams, Joe Tizzard
Paul has won two Cheltenham Gold Cups with See More Business in 1999 and Kauto Star in 2007, and won the British jump racing Champion Trainer title in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.
Despite coming from a non-racing background, Paul became a highly successful jockey between the years of 1980 and 1989. He rode 130 winners, including Playschool in the 1987 Coral Welsh National. The same horse also won the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup in the same year, a second triumph for Paul who had won the race previously on Broadheath, in 1986.
Having gained knowledge and experience through his riding career, Paul later turned his hand to training. He gained his trainer’s licence in 1991. Success followed quickly with a horse called Olveston. However, his greatest feat to date is the time he won three races at the 1999 Cheltenham Festival, one of which was the Tote Gold Cup with See More Business.
Paul has trained some of Britain’s leading horses, perhaps most notably See More Business, whom he regards as his personal favourite and the best horse he has ever trained.
Azertyuiop is the best horse Paul currently trains. He won the Queen Mother Champion Chase in fine style at the 2004 Cheltenham Festival, having won the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy at the Festival twelve months earlier. His success in the Queen Mother Champion Chase marked Paul’s second victory in the race, following One Man’s win in 1998.
Paul followed up Azertyuiop’s win with three more Festival winners, in the form of Earthmover, St Pirran and Sporazene. With these wins, Paul clinched the Daily Telegraph Leading Trainer Award for the 2004 Cheltenham Festival.
Other top-class horses trained by Paul include Ad Hoc, Cenkos, Venn Ottery and the impressive 2003 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup winner Strong Flow. He describes Kadarann as the most awkward horse he has ever trained.