Paul Nicholls set to lose host of horses including ‘brilliant' serial winner as he plots yard refresh with daughter Meg
All the top trainers are chopping and changing their teams
SQUAD REFRESH Paul Nicholls set to lose host of horses including 'brilliant' serial winner as he plots yard refresh with daughter Meg
PAUL NICHOLLS is set to lose a host of horses at the upcoming sales - including a serial winner and unraced £140,000 potential star.
The legendary Ditcheat boss has joined rival Nicky Henderson in putting a load of runners under the hammer - as part of the regular end-of-season refresh.
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Paul Nicholls, who is to put nine horses up for sale at Doncaster, will target a squad refresh over the summer under the watchful eye of daughter and bloodstock expert Megan
Credit: Getty
It comes as Nicholls will aim for a squad overhaul over the summer under the watchful eye of daughter Megan.
Among the nine horses Nicholls will have up for sale at Doncaster later this month is a 'brilliant' five-time winner.
Bryony Frost waxed lyrical about Ioupy Collonges after the Neil and Alfie Smith-owned seven-year-old won at Perth last year.
She said the son of Kitkou, who has more than £45,000 earnings from 12 career runs, was 'big and bold' in the Class 3 novice handicap chase.
And he proved that was no fluke with a £10,000 win over 3m1f last Boxing Day at Wincanton, taking his mark to 126.
He is lot No666 in the Spring HIT/PTP sale, with Nos 663-665 also being consigned by Nicholls under the Manor Farm Stables banner.
Among them is former Grade 1 runner Farnoge, who fired a quickfire double under Harry Cobden at the tail end of 2023.
While top owner Johnny de la Hey has decided the time is right to offer Wrappedupinmay to another owner.
The seven-year-old gelding won an Irish point-to-point by 30 lenghts on debut and finished outside the top three just once in seven runs under rules before being pulled up at Wincanton in January.
While the Stewart Family, who continue to run horses in the silks of late legendary owner Andy Stewart, have also decided to flog Onethreefivenotout.
Named after Ben Stokes' legendary 2019 Ashes innings at Headingley, he has won three of his 11 career races after being bought by Nicholls and bloodstock expert Tom Malone for £125,000 the same year as Stokes' heroics.
The nine Nicholls horses for sale
Just Lucky Sivola
Wrappedupinmay
Onethreefivenotout
Golden Photo
Fortunate Fella
Farnoge
Hugos New Horse
Rickety Bridge
Ioupy Collonges
Of the nine horses Nicholls is set to sell on behalf of his owners, arguably the most interesting is the unraced Golden Photo.
A £140,000 buy by Nicholls and Malone in June 2023, the five-year-old son of Authorized has never made the racecourse.
But he had been purchased by the late John Hales, who won the Grand National with Neptune Collonges and owned a load of top horses with big mate Sir Alex Ferguson.
Golden Photo's dam, Diteou, is a sister to dual Gold Cup king Al Boum Photo.
While the horse himself is a half-brother to 2m4f hurdle winner Golden Point, suggesting staying trips are firmly on his agenda.
Sun Racing told you Nicholls will target all the big sales with the help of daughter and ITV Racing pundit Meg this summer.
Nicholls and Malone have formed a formidable team in recent years.
But the 14-time champion trainer is looking to shake things up for the autumn after seeing protege Dan Skelton battle it out with Willie Mullins for top honours last season.
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