Five of the best horses trained by David Nicholls

David 'Dandy' Nicholls was dubbed the 'Sprint King' for a very good reason. Following his death at the age of 61, Keith Hamer selects five of the best horses who flew the flag with distinction for the Thirsk trainer.

YA MALAK

A very proud moment for Nicholls as Ya Malak dead-heated with Coastal Bluff in a dramatic finish to the Nunthorpe in 1997. The horse was ridden by his wife Alex Greaves, who became the first female jockey to win a Group One in Britain.

BAHAMIAN PIRATE

This hardy sprinter galloped through the ranks and earned his stripes by running in 104 races. After winning the Ayr Gold Cup in 2000, he went right to the top, with the highlight undoubtedly the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes at Nicholls' beloved York, which he captured in 2004 at the grand old age of nine.

CONTINENT

Continent gave Nicholls a golden year in 2002 when winning the July Cup over six furlongs at Newmarket, with stablemate Bahamian Pirate back in second. A few months later, he then showed his versatility at the highest level by going on to lift the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp over the minimum trip.

REGAL PARADE

A typically tough Nicholls speedster. One of his trainer's six Ayr Gold Cup heroes, when striding home in 2008, he went on to claim two Group Ones - the Haydock Sprint Cup in 2009 and the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville in 2010.

SOVEREIGN DEBT

The popular grey had been the mainstay of the yard for the last few years, winning a host of Listed and Group races in England and Ireland as well as putting in memorable appearances further afield. The eight-year-old goes down as Nicholls' last ever winner after landing a valuable prize in Qatar at the end of February.