After seeing Nicky Henderson flex his muscles at Ascot with Jonbon and Lulamba on Saturday, and Dan Skelton strengthen his position at the top of the Jump Trainers’ Championship, you could excuse Paul Nicholls for being a bit downbeat.

However, despite perhaps not having the ammunition to tackle both Henderson and Skelton at the top table on a regular basis this season, it is anything but doom and gloom in the eyes of the 14-time champion trainer.

It might have taken until day three for the Ditcheat master to get on the board at the Berkshire Winter Million at Windsor on Sunday, but it was with a horse in Jubilee Alpha that he hopes means the future is bright for Manor Farm Stables.

For those with short memories, it was only two months ago that Nicholls was saddling Kandoo Kid to glory in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury and Il Ridoto in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, further highlighting his cause for optimism.

Nicholls said: “We have had plenty of winners and the best November we have ever had, but I never am in the headlines in January. We haven’t had as many runners as we normally have, for different reasons, but we still have a lot of young horses and bumper horses to run.

“A lot of ours are ground dependent and quite often they always run well on better ground. Everyone seems to think we are having a bad season, but I’m dead happy where we are.

“We had a nice winner at Taunton in Just A Rose and Jubilee Alpha was very good today. You always want more, but everybody always wants more, however you have got to be realistic.

“I don’t put myself under any pressure, everyone else seems to put me under pressure. Winning the Coral Gold Cup with Kandoo Kid was brilliant as was winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

“We have got some great races to go for in the spring and in Kandoo Kid to go for the Grand National. I love it.”

Pressure is something Nicholls has been used to dealing with throughout his career, from the likes of managing Kauto Star and Denman to crossing every T and dotting every I in the pursuit of trainers’ championship glory.

And while plenty has been made of big-money purchase Caldwell Potter, who is yet to fully fire since being snapped up for an eye-watering 740,000 euros last year, Nicholls is confident he is far from a lost cause.

If his record is anything to go by then Nicholls is likely to be right.

He added: “The set-up we have got works for what we do. We have some nice ones amongst the young ones, but there will be some ordinary ones as well. You just want to get some champions out of them.

“We have been training for a long time and nothing has changed. We have got a brilliant set-up and we are doing the same as normal, but it is about the players in your team.

“Take for instance Caldwell Potter, just because he cost a lot of money, it doesn’t mean he is guaranteed success. That horse will win something like a Paddy Power Gold Cup, but he won’t be a champion.

“Just because they have a price tag it means nothing except to put pressure on us. The pressure is always going to be on me and in some ways you can’t win.

“In some ways we might not have bought that well, and we have been unlucky with some.

“They will all win races and it is my job to get the best of them at whatever level that is.”

While never one to give up on anything, Nicholls admits that a 15th title looks set to be a straight shootout between current table topper Skelton and his closest pursuer Henderson.

But if anyone thinks the Grand National and Gold Cup-winning handler’s interest might be in any way waning, then think again.

Nicholls added: “I’d say if Nicky’s good horses win good prize money at Cheltenham it will be hard to hold onto second place. Nicky is having a good time and I said to Dan last night he will be right behind you soon, but Dan will probably have a lot more runners than him.

“I was so privileged to have all those horses we did well with, like Kauto Star. I’ve won 14 trainers’ championships and I love the game as much as ever. There is no point worrying about what other people have got as we have some nice ones coming through and we will get the best out of what we have got.”

And as someone who is always looking for the next big opportunity, Nicholls could soon be back in the headlines over the coming weeks at both Cheltenham and Sandown.

He added: “At Trials Day at Cheltenham I have plenty to run with Quebecois, Ginny’s Destiny and Stage Star all set to go.

“Kalif Du Berlais has had a wonderful season and he is an exciting one for the future. He could well go for the Scilly Isles at Sandown Park next and we haven’t seen the best of Regent’s Stroll, you wait until he jumps fences.

“All in all I’m happy with what we have got and the future looks bright.”

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