A true family affair as Olive Nicholls eyes Cheltenham strike with Shearer

Olive Nicholls is gearing up for what would be a momentous occasion for her family if Shearer was to score in the St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase.

Nicholls has already ridden once in the ‘amateur Gold Cup’ at the Cheltenham Festival, but this time she will be linking up with her father Paul, whose name will always be inextricably linked with Prestbury Park thanks to the successes of Ditcheat stars past and present.

However, despite all the many great days enjoyed by the 14-time champion trainer in the Cotswolds, it would surely be both a special and fitting moment if it was his daughter who took him to the landmark of a half-century of winners at the Festival.

“It’s really exciting and as long as Shearer bounces out of his two runs (so far), then I think he could have a chance,” said the 19-year-old, looking ahead to her big-race ride.

“Dad’s obviously done a great job to get him back on the track full stop – and it does make it more special riding him for dad.

“Riding for my dad is great – the bad days are probably worse when it’s my father, but it does make the good days even more special and hopefully next Friday will be one of those.”

Many in the weighing room will testify that riding a Paul Nicholls-trained runner at the Cheltenham Festival will always bring its pressures, so the younger Nicholls could be forgiven for panicking when Shearer’s trainer revealed her mount was his only ante-post bet for Cheltenham at a pre-Festival media event.

It was an unexpected mention which may have shone an extra spotlight on the task at hand, but with Shearer’s odds now as low as 7-1 with some bookmakers, Nicholls has chosen to take plenty of encouragement from her father’s confident assessment.

She added: “In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting him to mention him and I couldn’t help but think ‘oh, the pressure is on now’. But I’m taking it as a sign he has come out of his two races in good nick.”

It was in fact an old favourite in Shantou Flyer that whetted Nicholls’ appetite for Cheltenham Festival success when beaten only three lengths into third two years ago, and there are now sure to be many dreams of Shearer going two places better over the coming days.

“It was such an amazing day with Shantou Flyer and we never really went there thinking we’d win,” continued Nicholls.

“I obviously adored the horse and wanted to be up there but he was 50-1 and there were no expectations. When he finished so well, it was some thrill and it was an incredible feeling which definitely made me want to experience it again.

“It would be so special if Shearer was to win and it’s my mum’s (Georgie Nicholls) birthday on the Thursday, so all round it would be an amazing day. Since I first started pointing, it has always been the one race that I would absolutely love to win.”

For all the championship races won and the many great horses that have returned to the hallowed winner’s enclosure at the Cheltenham Festival down the years, victory for Shearer would give the master of Ditcheat a record fifth triumph in the amateur riders’ contest.

The nine-year-old – who the trainer part-owns alongside the McNeill family – has been expertly steered by Nicholls to two quick victories since returning from a 601-day absence and his young pilot hopes he has the right profile to enhance her father’s fine association with the Gold Cup day contest.

“Shearer was always held in high regard, it’s just unfortunate he’s had his problems,” explained Nicholls.

“He’s had his two years off and fortunately hunter chasing is a really good opportunity for these horses. Often, they don’t come back as well as they were before, so it’s great to be able to have him race in this class and also still go to the Cheltenham Festival.

“He went for a racecourse gallop before he went to Ffos Las and it was a bit of make or break to see if he was OK. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go and the girl who rode him got absolutely ran off with and I think did a few more laps of Wincanton than they were supposed to, it’s great to see him come back and still hold his class.”

While Nicholls’ thoughts are currently fixed on Shearer’s Cheltenham Festival bid, she has clearly been bitten by the family bug and has also turned her hand to training recently, with her own Didero Vallis ironically back in third the day she steered Shearer to victory at Taunton.

Although keen to expand her knowledge for the time being, Nicholls’ growing love for the nuanced art of training has opened the door to her name one day appearing above the door at Ditcheat alongside her father.

“It’s a possibility and is something me and dad have spoken about,” said Nicholls. “I know his main aim is to get to 4,000 winners and he would love to do that in his own name, but we have definitely spoken about me going down there at some stage.

“I’d love to keep doing a bit on my own first though, to be honest, and me and mum work as a team at home and I have always loved the training side of it.

“I’ve got a horse of my own, Viroflay, that could be going to Aintree and it’s exciting to saddle runners on big days. I find it harder to watch them than riding them, but I do love it and hopefully it can keep growing.”