BEAU BALKO
(5yo b g - Balko ex Douce Ambiance)
The Balko Syndicate
Number of horses: 1
Cost per horse: €130,000
Number of shares: 20
Initial price: £9,800+ VAT* Due on signing agreement (VAT recoverable)
Second year cost for three-year-old career: £4,300+ VAT*
Trainer: Paul Nicholls
*all VAT recoverable
Paul Nicholls
Location: Ditcheat, Somerset.
Paul began training a mere eight horses from his Ditcheat base in 1991, following a successful career as a jump jockey. Since then, Paul has grown to become one of the country’s most successful trainers, amassing more than 3,600 winners and 145 Grade 1 winners. Paul has been Champion Trainer ten times and is regularly successful in Britain’s biggest races, training four Cheltenham Gold Cup winners and eight King George VI winners.
Paul has trained multiple superstars such as the phenomenal Kauto Star, who won a record-breaking five King Georges and is the only horse to have regained his Gold Cup crown. Big Bucks won him four World Hurdles, Master Minded was a two-time winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Denman won two Hennessy Gold Cups and toppled Kauto Star to win the 2008 Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
As a 48-time Cheltenham Festival winning trainer, Paul is revered in National Hunt circles. His most recent Grade One Winners include Bravemansgame, Stay Away Fay and Stage Star. Paul has now sent out an incredible 43 Cheltenham Festival winners. There are few trainers able to match Paul’s capacity to continually saddle winners, having won more than £2 million in prize money every season for the past twenty years.
Highclere Thoroughbred Racing is delighted to have links with such a successful trainer. Highclere has enjoyed success in partnership with Paul through black type performers Danse Idol, If You Say Run and Posh Trish. HTR is looking forward to the season ahead, and to many more successes with Team Ditcheat.