- Afadil – County Hurdle, 50/1 with BetVictor
- Caldwell Potter – Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase, 16/1 with bet365
- Ginny’s Destiny – Ultima Handicap Chase, 18/1 with bet365
- Henri The Second – Pertemps Network Final, 16/1 with bet365
- Il Ridoto – TrustATrader Plate, 28/1 with bet365
- Jubilee Alpha – Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, 9/1 with bet365
- Just A Rose– Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, 16/1 with bet365
- Kabral Du Mathan – County Hurdle, 16/1 with BetVictor
- Monmiral – Pertemps Network Final, 16/1 with BetVictor or Stayers Hurdle, 33/11 with BetVictor
- No Drama This End – Champion Bumper, 16/1 with bet365
- Sans Bruit – Grand Annual Chase, 100/1 with bet365
- Shearer – St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase, 14/1 with bet365
- Tutti Quanti – Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, 150/1 with bet365
- All Nicholls Each Way Lucky 15
Willie Mullins may be the first trainer who springs to mind when we look ahead to the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. However, not so long ago, those seeking Cheltenham winners needed to look no further than the Ditcheat yard of Paul Nicholls.
Thanks to a golden era which included the racing titans Denman, Kauto Star, See More Business, Master Minded, and Big Bucks, Nicholls enjoyed a spectacular spell of success at Prestbury Park in March – picking up four Gold Cup wins, six in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, four in the Stayers Hurdle, and one in the Champion Hurdle. That winning sequence saw Nicholls crowned the leading trainer at the Cheltenham Festival on six occasions between 1999 and 2009.
Lacking the powerful ammunition of years gone by, Nicholls has been knocked off his perch by the relentless Willie Mullins onslaught. Nevertheless, the 62-year-old handler retains his tenacious streak and will to win and has kept the Cheltenham win-o-meter ticking over in most seasons.
Now sitting on a tally of 49, Nicholls has the chance to achieve the half-century milestone in 2025, and we wouldn’t bet against him doing it.
Here, we look through Nicholls’ likely contenders for the 2025 Festival and pick out those included in our ante-post portfolio.
Afadil – County Hurdle, 50/1 with BetVictor
This six-year-old will likely need good ground to join the Cheltenham team, but if the rain stays away, he could make his third Festival appearance. Eighth in the 2023 Fred Winter and fourth in the 2024 County Hurdle, he’s 8lb lower in the handicap this year and one of the more interesting outsiders in a typically competitive field.
Caldwell Potter – Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase, 16/1 with bet365
Thanks to an astronomical €740,000 price tag, this ex-Gordon Elliott runner is one of the most talked about novices in training. A Grade 1 winner over hurdles in Ireland, he has yet to hit those heights for Nicholls over fences. However, it’s much too soon to write him off, given the talent displayed earlier in his career. The step up to 2m4f poses a question, but if he sees out the trip, he could look pretty well handicapped off 147.
Ginny’s Destiny – Ultima Handicap Chase, 18/1 with bet365
One of Nicholls’ star performers in 2023/24, Ginny’s Destiny rattled off a hattrick at this track before finishing an excellent second to Grey Dawning in the Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Chase. Given those efforts, 2024/25 has been disappointing. Pulled up on his return, he was well beaten in Grade 2 company at Huntingdon before labouring to a tenth of 11 finish over 2m4½f at this track in January. He’s down 6lb in the handicap but needs to improve on recent efforts as he steps up to 3m for the first time.
Henri The Second – Pertemps Network Final, 16/1 with bet365
Nicholls' sole win at the 2024 Festival came in this contest, and he will hope to repeat the feat with this eight-year-old son of Saddler Maker. Successful in Grade 2 company back in 2022, he arrives in solid form following an 18l romp in a qualifier at Sandown and a fair second back at that track in February.
Il Ridoto – TrustATrader Plate, 28/1 with bet365
With 13 previous visits to the course, few runners can match Il Ridoto in terms of course experience. Still only eight years of age, he has finished in the first three in five of those 13 outings, with the most recent highlight seeing him claim the Paddy Power Gold Cup in November. He’s 4lb higher here, but that may not stop him going close, so long as the ground is good to soft or better.
Jubilee Alpha – Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, 9/1 with bet365
This daughter of Flemensfirth is comfortably one of the more exciting Nicholls runners heading into the meeting. Boasting rock-solid Bumper form, Jubilee Alpha has done nothing wrong in three outings over hurdles. Having finished an unlucky third in a Listed event at Newbury, she put that right with a smooth success at Taunton before giving weight and a beating to a useful field at Windsor in January. This promising sort may be the best of the British runners in the big race for the up-and-coming mares.
Just A Rose– Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, 16/1 with bet365
Raced only once in the Point-to-Point sphere and once since joining Nicholls in December 2023, Just A Rose hasn’t achieved as much as Jubilee Alpha at the track. However, it is impossible to fault her efforts to date. Too good for the now 137-rated Country Mile in that Point-to-Point, she dispatched her rivals by 26 lengths at Taunton in January and falls firmly into the could be anything category.
Kabral Du Mathan – County Hurdle, 16/1 with BetVictor
With four previous wins, Nicholls knows what it takes to claim this frenetic 2m1f contest on the closing day. In Kabral Du Mathan, he may have the horse to make it win number five. Yet to finish outside out of the first two in five career outings, he showed he can go well off this mark of 139 when second last time out at Windsor. That came over 2m, but he runs as though this slight step up in trip may suit.
Monmiral – Pertemps Network Final, 16/1 with BetVictor or Stayers Hurdle, 33/11 with BetVictor
The Nicholls hero of the 2024 meeting, Monmiral came with a storming late effort to land the Pertemps Network Final off a mark of 138. He’s up to 149 here, which makes life tough, and may see him tackle the Grade 1 Stayers Hurdle instead. It’s four years since he scored at the top level, but having finished second in the Grade 2 duo of the Long Distance Hurdle and Cleeve Hurdle this season, he is no forlorn each-way hope.
No Drama This End – Champion Bumper, 16/1 with bet365
Sporting the famous silks of the McNeil Family And Chris & Giles Barber, by super sire Walk In The Park, and a perfect two-from-two in his career to date, No Drama This End looks to have plenty going for him ahead of a possible tilt at the Champion Bumper. Very interesting horse, but he is unlikely to be risked on a quick surface.
Sans Bruit – Grand Annual Chase, 100/1 with bet365
An impressive winner of the Red Rum Handicap Chase at the 2024 Grand National Meeting but zero from seven since. He is now back down to his last winning mark, but Aintree is the more likely target once again – as suggested by those 100/1 odds for this race.
Shearer – St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase, 14/1 with bet365
With four previous wins, Nicholls is level with Richard Barber for the all-time lead in this event over the Gold Cup course and distance. Set to be ridden by his daughter Olive, Shearer looks to have plenty in his favour. Successful at this track in 2022, he arrives seeking a five-timer and is a perfect two-from-two in the Hunter Chase sphere.
Tutti Quanti – Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, 150/1 with bet365
This likeable sort joined the yard from the French operation of Francois Nicolle in January 2024. Has since finished second to the talented Joyeuse, landed a novice event at Ffos Las, and again filled the runners-up position at Newbury. Clearly has ability, but this looks like a huge step up in class in what we have seen at the track to date.
All Nicholls Each Way Lucky 15
Considering he has only achieved four or more winners at the festival on three occasions. It is possibly a little optimistic to expect to land an all-Nicholls Lucky 15 at the 2025 meeting. Nevertheless, we belong to the glass-half-full rather than half-empty brigade here at Paddock-Punter and will cheer on the following foursome to at least hit the frame.
- Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle: Jubilee Alpha @ 9/1 with bet365
- County Hurdle: Kabral Du Mathan @ 12/1 with bet365
- Champion Bumper: No Drama This End @ 16/1 with bet365
- St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase: Shearer @ 14/1 with LiveScoreBet
A 50p each way Lucky 15 on the above selections at the listed prices returns £22,383.67 with bet365 if all four horses win and £208.17 if all four only hit the placed positions.
Paul Harrison
Falling in love with racing at a young age, Paul’s passion for sports and betting took him to Salford University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics with Gambling Studies. Having spent ten years in the employment of a leading bookmaker, Paul opted to go it alone and pursue his dream job as a freelance writer.
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