With the dust barely settled on the 2025/26 National Hunt season, one of the most successful trainers in the history of the sport received a significant blow. Only a few days after handing the Champion Trainer’s Trophy to his former assistant, Dan Skelton, Paul Nicholls received the news that 11 horses were to be removed from his yard.
First teaming up with Nicholls in the 2009/10 season, owners Johnny and Samantha de la Hey are relocating all 11 of their runners previously trained by Nicholls. Seven horses will head to the yard of man of the moment Dan Skelton, with the remaining four split between Chris Gordon and Jamie Snowden. This move brings an end to a seventeen-year relationship that was lit up by several high-profile successes.
A Change in Strategy
Speaking to the press on Wednesday, 29th April, Johnny de la Hey was quick to thank Nicholls and outlined a change in approach as the reason behind the decision:
“Samantha and I would like to thank Paul, who has done a fantastic job training for us for the last 17 years. However, after a lot of thought, we have decided to make a change to our jump racing strategy by having our horses with several trainers. We wish Paul well and are looking forward to the new season.”
The Latest Disappointment for Nicholls
As a 14-time winner of the British Trainers’ Championship and the man behind the careers of all-time greats such as Kauto Star, Denman, and Master Minded, Nicholls is established among the greatest British jumps trainers of all time. However, even that resume hasn’t been enough to prevent the recent trend of talent leaving his yard.
Before the start of the 2025/26 season, Gordon and Su Hall moved Old Park Star, Act Of Innocence, Don’t Tell Su, and Ginny’s Destiny to the yard of Nicky Henderson. Gallingly for Nicholls, Old Park Star went on to win the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle for his new trainer.
Earlier in the autumn of 2025, Nicholls also lost the Neil and Alfie Smith-owned Kabral Du Mathan and Sinnatra to Dan Skelton and The Bluesman, King’s Champion, and Zamek to Olly Murphy. The departure of Kabral Du Mathan represented the biggest blow, with that horse winning the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle for Skelton and finishing a solid fourth in the Stayers’ Hurdle.
Reacting to this latest news, Nicholls stated:
“It’s disappointing after all the success we have had together. We have a great team here and a lovely team of young horses to look forward to. I wish Johnny all the best.”
The End of a Grade 1 Winning Partnership
While the de la Heys have opted to try something new, Nicholls has every right to be proud of his work with the runners in the pink and blue hoops. Over the course of their seventeen years with Nicholls, the de la Heys had 123 winners from 652 runners in Britain, with their horses amassing £3,754,638 in total prize money. Included in that number were 30 graded triumphs, headlined by the following seven Grade 1 victories:
- 2016 Future Champions Finale Juvenile Hurdle – Adrien Du Pont
- 2018 Maghull Novices’ Chase – Diego Du Charmil
- 2019 Ascot Chase – Cyrname
- 2023 Marsh Chase – Pic d’Orhy
- 2023 Challow Novices’ Hurdle – Captain Teague
- 2024 Ascot Chase – Pic d’Orhy
- 2025 Ascot Chase – Pic d’Orhy
The Departing Runners
Despite such consistent success over a sustained period of time, Nicholls now finds himself with eleven empty boxes at Ditcheat. While the full list of relocated runners has yet to be released, the following nine horses are expected to be included, having all raced in the de la Hey colours for Nicholls in the 2025/26 campaign.
- Pic d’Orhy
- Blueking d’Oroux
- Matterhorn
- Talk To The Man
- Welcom To Cartries
- Captain Bellamy
- Joyau Allen
- Captain Teague
- Ivaldi
The standout name on that list is that of the three-time Ascot Chase winner Pic d’Orhy, who won over £1 million in prize money during his time with Nicholls. Moving the 11-year-old to the yard of Dan Skelton at this stage of his career is one of the more puzzling aspects of the de la Heys’ decision.
Other names to note include 2023 Challow Novices’ Hurdle winner Captain Teague, three-time Grade 2 winner Blueking d’Oroux, and Talk To The Man, who made an encouraging start to life over hurdles in 2025/26. Barring the confirmation that Pic d’Orhy will join Skelton, we await news on which horses will join which yards.
Turbulent times for Paul Nicholls, with the trainer also losing the services of number one jockey Harry Cobden, who departs to take up his role as the retained rider for JP McManus.