Paul Nicholls‘ four-timer at Wincanton on Sunday has boosted his hopes of winning the British trainers’ championship this season.
The Ditcheat handler, who was celebrating his 54th birthday on Sunday and still toasting a four-timer at Ayr on Saturday, which included Scottish Grand National glory with Vicente, enjoyed four winners from four runners at his local track.
Four-year-old favourite Zubayr handied Nicholls a winning start with a comfortable victory in the Ridegway BMW Novices’ Hurdle, before Emerging Talent took the Racing UK Profits Returned To Racing ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle.
The hat-trick was completed with Movewiththetimes’ winning debut in division one of the Collects Points, Go Racing With Rewards4Racing Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.
And Capitaine completed the foursome when defeating Minella For Me by 13 lengths to give jockey Sam Twiston-Davies a double on the day.
Nicholls now has a £43,160 advantage over his Irish rival Willie Mullins as the scrap for the championship moves into its final week.
He told Racing UK: “At the end of the day it comes down to what happens at Sandown on Saturday. There are a couple of Grade Ones there and they are usually the races that decides. We’ll just have to see what happens on Saturday.
“We’ve got Southfield Theatre in the bet365 Gold Cup and he’s probably spearheading next weekend. He wants good ground and hasn’t had it for a while.
“I’ll sit down and see what I can enter. Dodging Bullets will have an entry. There are some nice novice handicaps.”
