Megan Nicholls: no excuse not to treat apprentices and conditionals the same

Apprentices and conditionals deserve the same treatment from their employers, according to Megan Nicholls, who thinks more focus is needed on what is best for the riders and horses rather than any potential profits for trainers.

Nicholls, a 3lb apprentice and daughter of multiple champion jumps trainer Paul Nicholls, struggles to see the difference in the jobs being done on the Flat by apprentices, who will retain at least 80 per cent of their riding fee and prize-money from next March, and conditionals, who will keep all their earnings next year.

She said: "Apprentices and conditionals are, in effect, doing the same job, and I think apprentices should be on level terms with conditionals. None of the jumps trainers have ever complained and they still use their conditionals – and they do that for the benefit of their horses, not because they are trying to make a profit out of the rider.