The secret of success: Aidan O'Brien's rare insight into the mind of this 'very weird' genius
At this time last year I went to interview Paul Nicholls as he geared up for his annual assault on the King George at Christmas which, as it turned out, proved successful with Bravemansgame.
Nicholls was operating at a ridiculously high strike-rate and I was eager to find out how, after so many years at the top of his profession, he was still managing to eke out more.
He said one of the secrets to success was to never stand still and, regardless of how well the previous season might have gone, he and his right-hand man Clifford Baker made a point of tweaking at least one tried-and-trusted method at the start of the new campaign, just to see if they could make a marginal gain to help keep them ahead of the chasing pack.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on inLewis Porteous
Last updated
- 'I couldn't give a toss about who will win the Gold Cup' - it's time we took a leaf out of Ted Walsh's book and lived in the moment
- The traditional handicapping system is holding back jump racing - it's time for a radical overhaul
- Good luck to those who spent big at Tattersalls last week - recent history suggests you might need it
- Galileo's death has left the staying division at a critical crossroads - but there's also an opportunity to be seized
- Britain’s middle-distance crisis: how this year’s Group 1 results reveal a shocking pattern
- 'I couldn't give a toss about who will win the Gold Cup' - it's time we took a leaf out of Ted Walsh's book and lived in the moment
- The traditional handicapping system is holding back jump racing - it's time for a radical overhaul
- Good luck to those who spent big at Tattersalls last week - recent history suggests you might need it
- Galileo's death has left the staying division at a critical crossroads - but there's also an opportunity to be seized
- Britain’s middle-distance crisis: how this year’s Group 1 results reveal a shocking pattern