Back of the net! Shearer scores at Warwick to give Nicholls 100 for the season

Paul Nicholls reached the milestone century of winners on Thursday just hours before the new year and hailed a record-breaking three months as an "amazing time".

The success of Shearer at Warwick was Nicholls' 84th winner in the 92 days between October and December. His previous best in that timeframe was 73 winners in 2016, the only other season he reached the 100-winner mark before the new year.

The Ditcheat stable has had a 27 per cent strike-rate and captured three top-level wins this season with Politologue, Frodon and Bravemansgame in the Tingle Creek, King George and Challow.

Watch Shearer win at Warwick

Since November, Nicholls has been slashed to 1-6 (from 8-15) to record an 12th trainers' championship in the 2020-21 season.

"Getting the 100 is a really nice thing to have done," said Nicholls. "Since October everything has gone very well – we've had an amazing time, I'm really pleased. If it could continue to the end of the year I'd be well happy.

Nicholls in numbers 2020-21 season

Runners: 377
Winners: 100
Seconds: 66
Thirds: 51
Strike-rate: 27 per cent
Graded winners: 8
Best track: Chepstow, 12 wins (44 per cent strike-rate)
Racecourses won at: 28

"You're always trying to tweak things and learn from mistakes in previous seasons, but I think we've just got a system that's working really well. Everyone works very hard but it's all about never stop learning or making those tweaks.

"We're exactly where we want to be with a really strong team, and they're fit and healthy too, which is what you want."

The Grade 1 success of Bravemansgame – described as "as good as Denman was at this stage" – put Nicholls' seasonal tally up to 99 and Doncaster runner Fast Buck came within a head of reaching the century mark on Wednesday.

Nicholls had five runners at Taunton on Wednesday without luck before he hit his goal with the appropriately named Shearer in the last jumps race of the season – the jonjooneillracingclub.co.uk Join Today £99 Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Ridden by Adrian Heskin, the McNeill Family-owned four-year-old was backed by knowing punters into 8-13 before winning by nine lengths despite showing greenness.

Paul Nicholls' leading Cheltenham chances

Hitman 16-1 Arkle
Bravemansgame 5-1 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle
Politologue 7-1 Queen Mother Champion Chase
Monmiral 14-1 Triumph Hurdle
Frodon 12-1 Cheltenham Gold Cup

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