Paul Nicholls delighted with form

He'd love to win it, but there's more to being a trainer than titles. That was the view expressed by Paul Nicholls as he looked back upon a highly-successful weekend's work that propelled him back to the top of this season's trainers' championship standings.

Nicholls said that he was pleased by the successes being achieved by former assitants Harry Fry and Dan Skelton, the pair having struck out on their own respectively last season and this season. "We beat Harry when Mr Mole won on Sunday and I was at the same time pleased to beat him, but disappointed for him," he said. "But he's going to be a good trainer and the same is true about Dan, who was always going to do well. "People call him a 'Mini-me', but he's on his own now. He's got a magical set-up, with the help of his Dad, and some good horses too. He gets them fit and he runs them in the right races, but he was always going to do that. I'm pleased for him." Nicholls admitted that their departure from the ranks had left him facing new challenges. "I talk about 'Team Ditcheat' because we are a team and I would be nothing without my staff," he said. "When people like that go, you need to get people in who you trust and that's not easy. "But when you hit a run of better form, it rubs off on everyone and even the horses, and it's great to be among the winners again."