Tees Spirit (red cap, centre)© Photo Healy Racing
North Yorkshire-based Adrian Nicholls rolled back the years today as the jockey-turned-trainer continued a family tradition in winning Tipperary's Listed Abergwaun Stakes, with Tees Spirit
Nicholls won three renewals of today's race as a jockey for his father the late sprint trainer Dandy Nicholls, with Peace Offering (2006) and In Exile (2011 and '12) and having taken out a trainers' license in 2017, today bagged his first Irish winner and a second Listed success.
Tees Sprit, under Barry McHugh, raced prominently throughout the five-furlong dash, and won by the smallest of margins, beating runner-up Erosandpsyche and third-placed Moss Tucker by a nose and a nose.
The visiting team were numerous and in good spirits and Nicholls quipped “I was lucky enough to win this race three times as a jockey back when I had hair!
“I'd love to know the reason, but he is getting quicker. He came to me rated 62 last year, he has since won over six (furlongs) and while I'm not saying he won't win over six, he loves rattling off fast ground over five.
“It was either come here or the Beverley Bullet and when I came over and walked the track, I was delighted with the very quick ground. He likes that and I thought this was the best option. He didn't get his ground at the Curragh previously.
“The owners Ingleby Bloodstock bought my dad's yard so that's how I got to know them. They have been nothing but supportive, have left me run him where I want and it has paid off.
“You wouldn't get an easier five than either here or Longchamp and he will probably run in the Prix de l'Abbaye. Obviously the ground might be against him as he hasn't run on soft ground but we'll take our chance.”
He added “we got here two nights ago, the horse got the day off yesterday and we stayed at the local hotel where we hacked the golf course up. To have a second Listed winner means a hell of a lot, we have 20 horses in and that's 13 winners this year. This can only help build more success.”
