RIP “Sprint king” Dandy Nicholls

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“Sprint king” Dandy Nicholls dies at the age of 61 - (Sunday 4 June 2017) By Andy Stephens (Racing UK)

Former jockey and trainer Dandy Nicholls, who was renowned for his training of sprinters, has died at the age 61.

Adrian Nicholls, his son, revealed his father had died in a tweet posted on social media just after 11am on Sunday. It read: “RIP dad love you always go have pint with Archie and Lynsay pat and Walter gutted doesn't come close.”

Nicholls was nicknamed the “Sprint King” during his illustrious training career. After beginning with just five horses, he scooped big races in Europe such as the Nunthorpe Stakes, the July Cup, the Prix de l'Abbaye and the Haydock Sprint Cup.

With the help of his wife, champion lady jockey Alex Greaves, he ended up with a string of more than 100 at his peak and he was also an expert in big-field handicaps.

Nicholls won the Ayr Gold Cup six times, sending out three winners in succession between 2000-02 from his base at Tall Trees Stables, near Thirsk.

The last of them was Redford in 2010

As a jockey, he also partnered more than 400 winners.

Three months ago, he announced he was retiring from the training ranks and cited financial pressures as the reason for calling it a day.

In April last year, he had appeared in court charged with sexually assaulting a woman.

His final runner, and winner, was Sovereign Debt, who secured a big prize in Qatar on February 24.

At Epsom on Saturday, the grey, now trained by Ruth Carr, won the Group Three Diomed Stakes.

When Nicholls announced he was quitting the training ranks, Adrian, who rode many of his winners, described his father as a genius.

"We had some great days together,” he said. “I rode for 19 years and basically that is all down to him as he gave my career a massive kick-start.

"For me, the highlight was Bahamian Pirate winning him a first Ayr Gold Cup. He started off rated 59, won at Ayr the following year and ended up winning a Nunthorpe.

"That horse really helped get me going but he'd had lots of success before that, but what he did with that horse was phenomenal."

Nicholls enjoyed his best season in 2011, when he enjoyed 93 domestic winners.

Last campaign he only managed 24 winners, but still enjoyed big-race victories with Orion's Bow and Kimberella.

Adrian said at the time of his retirement: "We used to turn up in Ireland with the likes of Tax Free and Inxile and win Listed and Group races for fun, it was like shelling peas.

"Dad didn't go looking for sprinters, but after he'd had success with them a lot of people started sending them to us, a bit like Robert Cowell now, but we also had success with two-year-olds like Strike Up The Band and Mister Manannan.

"One horse who'd sum him up was Funfair Wane. He was a nutcase yet he managed to win two Ayr Gold Cups. He wasn't an easy horse to train and it was probably why they got on so well.”