We have been tracking the battle for the 2012-13 National Hunt Trainers title on our forum.
While Nicky Henderson has the edge going into the Aintree Grand National meeting there is still much to play for over the next month and especially over the 3 days of the 2013 Grand National meeting.
Going into the meeting Henderson has a lead of just over £362,000:
Nicholls got of to a flyer in the early season and held that advantage going into the 2013 Cheltenham Festival.
Henderson fared the much better of the two at that meeting landing the two biggest chases with Sprinter Sacre and Bobs Worth.
The total prize money up for grabs at Aintree is now record at £2,725,000, which represents an increase of £185,000 (+7.3 per cent) for the three days over 2012.
Henderson appears to have a strong hand for Friday’s feature Melling Chase with Sprinter Sacre the favourite.
Nicholls however has the better hand for the richest jumps race in the UK. The John Smith’s Grand National is worth £975,000 again, with an estimated purse to the winner of nearly £550,000 and prize money down to 10th place. Henderson relies on Roberto Goldback in the race – he has never won it. Nicholls has three potential runners in Join Together, What a Friend and Harry The Viking. He won the race for the first time in 2012 with Neptune Collonges.
