Nicholls moves level with Pipe after Fasol wins at Windsor
The 11-1 chance held off Watamu by a short head for a memorable sucess.
Paul Nicholls drew alongside the legendary figure of Martin Pipe with 3,930 British National Hunt winners when Fasol won at Windsor.
Nicholls had been making good progress towards the record in recent weeks but the prevailing quick ground had somewhat slowed his progress.
When the fancied Quebecois faded up the hill in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham it appeared the Ditcheat handler was going to have to wait at least another day.
However, Fasol (11-1) was always travelling comfortably in the Cutler And Gross Handicap Hurdle for Freddie Gingell and he held off Watamu by a short head for a memorable win.
Nicholls, who was enjoying a drink at Cheltenham with longtime owner Max McNeill when Fasol struck, said: “I was in the Arkle bar with Max having a pint and forgot he was running for a minute! I’m glad we watched it in the end.
“This is fantastic and it’s been a bit frustrating as we haven’t been able to run as many horses as we would have liked to.
“We’ve had to be selective and since moving within one a few have been hitting the crossbar, but it was always going to happen one day, even though I wasn’t sure I was relying on Fasol too much!”
He went on: “It’s great and reflects well on the whole team. I know Paul Barber would be mighty proud as he backed me in the first place and if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be where I am now.
“It’s a huge number of winners and you don’t realise how many it is until you get near a record. Hopefully we can break it either here tomorrow or somewhere towards the end of next week and I’m sure we’ll add plenty more.
“I thought Quebecois would go close today and if we were relying on Fasol I was in trouble and Quebecois just found the trip too sharp today.
“But this reflects so well on the team at home. I’ve always said I’m in charge of ‘Team Ditcheat’. You are only as good as the team around you and I’ve always been so lucky to have such a great team at home. This is just a great achievement for everybody.”
Nicholls is into his fourth decade at Ditcheat from where he has sent out a legion of superstars including the likes of Kauto Star, Denman, Big Buck’s, Neptune Collonges and Master Mined, a collection of galacticos who will forever be remembered in racing folklore.
“I turned up at Ditcheat with eight horses in 1991 and just built from there,” continued Nicholls.
“I’ve had some amazing days and trained some horses of a lifetime and I was incredibly lucky during the times of Kauto and the like but incredibly lucky afterwards to have the likes of Silviniaco Conti and Clan Des Obeaux.
“We’re not going to have the numbers of back in the day but we’ll still keep finding the odd good one and bringing them through. If I can do that I’ll be happy.
“As you get older people try to pension you off and say you’ve been there, done it and not so worried anymore but I can assure you I’m as keen as ever and I have some lovely horses I have to patient with and will be great in the future.
“I love the game as much as ever and we will just keep cracking on. It’s nice to do this today on a Saturday and we’ll just keep adding to it – we’ll be well over 4,000 one day.”