The heat is on but Alex Ferguson’s ally Paul Nicholls can handle it

Champion trainer is ready for Festival battle with Henderson

Evening Standard

You would not have expected Paul Nicholls to stop for anything over the last few weeks as he prepared for jump racing’s annual show stealer, the Cheltenham Festival, which started today.

But, last Tuesday, he did. Taking his cue from Jose Mourinho that the world would stop to watch Real Madrid play Manchester United, the champion trainer travelled from his yard at Ditcheat in deepest Somerset to Old Trafford. He returned mourning for the man whose horses he trains, Sir Alex Ferguson.