British title contenders: Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and Dan Skelton

The last decade of the trainers’ championship in Britain has seen a tremendous two-way tussle between the powerhouse operations of Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson. After the landscape was dominated by Ditcheat for seven straight seasons, Henderson overhauled his great rival’s tally in 2012-2013 and the pair have been exchanging blows ever since, with Henderson winning the title a further three times to Nicholls’ five.

Only an audacious bid from Willie Mullins in 2015-2016 has come close to breaking the sequence in that period, and last season Nicholls dominated the field, finishing more than £600,000 clear of young pretender Dan Skelton. A lacklustre Henderson outfit was only fourth, but after a good start from Seven Barrows in 2021-22, it could be a lot closer this time.

Paul Nicholls

The Ditcheat maestro is perhaps Britain’s finest jumps trainer of the modern era. If not quite the pioneer that Martin Pipe was, Nicholls’ 12 titles is now only three behind the number Pipe achieved, and who’s to say he won’t break his old rival’s record.