OBITUARY: How digger Dandy Nicholls graduated to become The Sprint King

Colm Greaves remembers David ‘Dandy’ Nicholls, the former trainer known as ‘The Sprint King’.

It was a coincidental seasonal rotation that lasted well over a decade. Study the racing cards on any winter Saturday morning during the early part of this century and there is little doubt that the trainer of multiple fancied runners in that afternoon’s biggest handicap chase would carry the last name Nicholls, first name Paul.

Then repeat the exercise during the flat season and the result is eerily similar, particularly in the big-ticket sprint races. The last name is still Nicholls but this time the first name this time is Dandy.