Paul Nicholls says he feels Dan Skelton will be a “big threat” to his attempt to clinch a 13th National Hunt trainers’ championship.
Skelton got back to work after their summer break, including last year’s Ladbrokes King George VI Chase champion Frodon and Mansion Bet Challow Novices’ Hurdle hero Braveman’sgame.

Gradually, the team builds up towards the new campaign, which for Nicholls traditionally starts at Chepstow in the month of October, and Sky Bets recent offer will be available to punters on the day of the event or before.
He said, “It’s a busy time of the year for us in Ditcheat, we are up to 120 horses come back in training now ready for the new season, lots of new ones, lots of new staff so it’s like the first day of the new term at school,”

“There’s a lot to look forward to this year with lots of lovely horses.
“We focus this time of year on getting a good team ready for Chepstow where we always start, we have a few summer ones to run.
“We have actually had 20 winners this summer which we have never had before October I don’t think, so we have got a good, solid base. If we could have 25 winners by the 8th of October when Chepstow starts that would be a good start for us. At that meeting last year we had eight winners and then progressed from there, so it’s a matter of planning the season.”

In 2006, Nicholls won his first trainers’ title and linked up with champion jockey Harry Skelton on the podium the last term.
Nicholls is of the opinion that the rider’s brother Dan, his ex-assistant, also has the arsenal for a solid challenge for the championship.
Nicholls said, “I would love to win the trainers’ championship again, of course, I would,”
“That’s not going to be easy, I think Dan Skelton is going to be a big threat this season. He has obviously laid back from the summer and is going to have lots of runners. I’m told he is going to have 170-odd horses and a lot more winter horses so he’s going to be an interesting challenge.

“At the end of the day, it’s about getting these lovely young horses ready for their big targets in the autumn and onwards.”
For Old Gold Racing, Nicholls has two runners at the Market Rasen– Darling Maltaix in the Grade 3 Betway Summer Plate Handicap Chase andSaint de Reve in the Betway Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

The winner of the Skeltons run Solomon Grey will bank £22,780.
Nicholls said, “The Plate has been Darling Maltaix’s target for a long time,”
“He’s a good horse for the summer when the sun’s shining, he had a prep race at Newton Abbot a month ago which he won. This is a much more competitive race but his prep couldn’t have been better, I’m very happy with him.
“Saint de Reve has his first run for Old Gold Racing. He has had good form over fences so far, he definitely has a chance.”