Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls in collision for the 2012 Cheltenham Festival trainer’s title
The contention over the trainer’s title for the 2012 Cheltenham Festival still hangs thick in the air between the two top of the line trainers, Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls. Despite the outstanding achievements of Nicky Henderson which includes grabbing
four races in a day and getting the Grade 3 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase Challenge Cup on 16th March, there are still many waiting to see if the Paul Nicholls will get the honour yet again.
Paul Nicholls got the race going for him twice due to Kauto Star when he first won in 2007 and then a year later in 2009. Even though Kauto Star could not claim the Grade 1 Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2008, the gap was filled by Denman who landed the race with
Sam Thomas onboard.
This time around, the two famous rivals, Paul Nicholls’ Kauto Star and Nicky Henderson’s Long Run brought the track alive as they had done before but neither could translate the attempt into victory. The most significant and influential race was taken away
by the Jonjo O’Neill trained Synchronised who intimidated the track of fourteen by 2 ¼ lengths’ lead while celebrating the triumph with jockey, A. P. McCoy.
The most astonishing feature of the outcome was that neither of the rivals could hold onto the runner up’s position in the race. The Giant Bolster finished the race closest to the winner. The 7/4 favourite of the race, Long Run could only conjure up a reasonably
decent third place but even that did not excite the connections and the crowds as he had got the title under his belt just last year. Winning this one was being considered next to natural for him.
A more bitter disappointment came in the form of Kauto Star who could not even finish the race and consequently had to be pulled up. Winning the event twice and then losing it this way was the least bit expected.
This race seems to be a highly unlikely factor that will ensure the trainer’s title between Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls but if analysed, it will for sure surge the chances for Nicky Henderson.
The owner of Paul Nicholls’ trained Big Bucks, Andy Stewart, is eager about the news that is expected to come in nearly a month and believes that both the trainers diverse the best only.
“Paul and Nicky are both very competitive people, and I think this will go right down to the wire,” he predicted.
“Paul’s horses weren’t really firing at Cheltenham [30 runners, 2 winners and 2 seconds], even though he had Big Buck’s and Rock On Ruby. Overall, they weren’t running to the yard’s usual standard. Liverpool could be very different,” said Stewart.
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