Paul Nicholls equalled Martin Pipe’s record for training the most British jumps winners when Fasol won the Cutler And Gross Handicap Hurdle at Windsor on Saturday.
After Quebecois could finish only fifth in the Paddy Power Gold Cup it looked like the wait might go on for Nicholls, but he is now level with Pipe on 3,930 after Fasol's win.
It's the latest achievement in the 64-year-old's remarkable career which started after he called time on his days as a jockey.
He sent out his first runner, from an eight-horse yard in Somerset, when Southover Lad ran at Chepstow on November 2 1991 and his first winner came less than a month later via Olveston, part-owned by his parents, at Hereford.
Nicholls soon built momentum, breaking into the top ten in the trainers’ championship in his fourth season and saddling a first Grade One winner with See More Indians in the 1993 Feltham Novices’ Chase at Kempton.
His Ditcheat base was rapidly developing into one of the biggest in the country with firepower to match; See More Business’ 1997 King George VI Chase the first of six victories in the Kempton Boxing Day showpiece.
Flagship Uberalles in the 1999 Arkle was a first Cheltenham Festival winner, he secured the first of 14 trainers’ titles in 2005-2006 and was about to enjoy the golden years of his career with the likes of Kauto Star, Denman, Big Buck’s and Master Minded carrying all before them.
He won the 2012 Grand National with Neptune Collonges, saddled a personal best 176 winners in the 2020-2021 campaign and secured the last of his titles two seasons later.
Paul Barber was Nicholls’ mentor and a close ally until his death in 2022. Head lad Clifford Baker continues to be a key cog in the Ditcheat wheel while Ruby Walsh and Harry Cobden both enjoyed successful stints as stable jockey.
In recent seasons he has been hit by the loss of a number of big owners and their star horses but has some exciting young horses in the yard this year and is determined to restore the stable to former glories.
And now Nicholls is the joint most successful trainer in UK jumps racing history having equalled the mark set by another legendary trainer with whom he had a fierce rivalry for several years.
All eyes now are on when Nicholls will have the record out on his own - and he could do it on Sunday at Cheltenham with Pourquoi Pas Papa running in the WKD Novices' Limited Handicap Chase (13:25).
Nicholls reflected on the achievement at Cheltenham, saying: "He got his head in front today, so we're chuffed with that.
"We've hit the crossbar a few times [recently, in pursuit of the record] and we haven't had that many runners because of the ground, but it's nice to finally do it and we have to pass it now.
"I turned up at Paul Barber's with eight horses and built what I think is a fantastic business.
"What an incredible trainer Martin was, he was a wonderful trainer. He wouldn't have had the number of horses that the likes of Dan [Skelton] have now.
"I'd say I'm even hungrier now, we've had a few setbacks with losing horses but I'm going to carry on being patient, bringing good young horses through."
Pushed for his favourite winner Nicholls said: "All those wins with Kauto, when he won his fifth King George it was incredible.
"And See More Business in 1999, winning the Gold Cup for Paul Barber, which was his dream, that set us off and got the phone ringing. That started it all. I'm indebted to him and Paul Barber."
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