Boozy Barbados night leads to Paul Nicholls making a winning start as Flat owner

Monday: Windsor

Paul Nicholls has been a familiar face in the winner’s enclosure as a trainer over the years but winning debutant Paddy’s Day provided him with not only a Flat winner, but one that he part-owns too.

A story was spun about how the 13-time champion jumps trainer was persuaded by trainer Charlie Hills on a drunken night in Barbados to have a part share in a smart two-year-old, which Nicholls joked was the one he couldn’t sell.

It proved to be a worthwhile investment as the Starspangledbanner colt made all under Kieran Shoemark in the 6f novice to score by a length and a quarter at 7-1.

Although Nicholls wasn’t trackside, other part-owners Jim McGoff and Ged Mason were, and Mason said: “Fair play to Jim – he introduced us to Charlie in Barbados, and over a meal we decided to invest in a horse with him.”

'We were on the razz and I was persuaded' - Nicholls becomes an owner with Hills

McGoff said: “This is the best story ever! I haven’t had a horse in five years, I’ve had a couple of winners, but this has been very special. This is what horseracing is all about!”

“There’s a story there,” McGoff added on how they came up with the name. “The bar I met Charlie in was called The Horny Ram, but the Jockey Club wouldn’t let us name him that. He was born on March 17, 2020 [St Patrick’s Day], so Paddy’s Day is very special to me.”

Shoemark, who went on to record a superb four-timer after winning the opener on Aphelios, the third race on Flamenco Fan and the mile on The Rain King, said after Paddy's Day's race that he was worried the horse had lost his action in the early stages, and added that he was very green and that he thought the Coventry would come too soon.

“Normally we would say it [the Coventry] would be too soon,” Mason added. “But it’s only six furlongs, and Flat horses can cope.”

Results, replays and analysis

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