Nicholls bids for heaven on earth

13 April 2012

Paul Nicholls bursts into laughter when you mention his Grand National record saying: "It can only get better. A couple of years ago I went to the trouble of having some Aintree type fences built on my training grounds to get my Liverpool candidates used to them. I had four runners in the big race last year and what happened? Three of them fell and the other unseated its rider."

One of the fallers was Earthmover, who only got as far as the fourth fence. This year the chestnut is his only representative and is up there in the ante-post betting.

"My record doesn't worry me in the slightest," Nicholls said. "I find it rather amusing really. We have had plenty of horses that have gone there, fallen, and then run really well the year after at other places.

"Even as a middle-of-the-road jump jockey I had no luck. I had Roman Bistro and Another Duke in the race and didn't get anywhere, but they were no hopers and I didn't expect much.

"Earthmover was just a bit unlucky last year when he overjumped at the fourth. He has been round Haydock, Newbury and Cheltenham since with no bother and it doesn't worry me as much as it seems to worry everyone else."

The nearest Nicholls has got to a Grand National winner was when he was assistant trainer to David Barons and Seagram won the Aintree spectacular in 1991.

Five years later, as a handler in his own right, Nicholls thought he had a big chance with Deep Bramble in the Martell sponsored event.

"He was running a big race and broke down crossing the Melling Road just before the second last," he said. "He would have definitely been in with a shout if that had not happened.

"As for preparation, Earthmover will be doing plenty of work because he has not run for a while. He always goes well when fresh and his big race rider, Joe Tizzard, will be schooling him over ordinary fences this week."

Coincidence betters will note that Earthmover has the same initial five letters as Earth Summit, who won the race three years ago.

The former could not be more aptly named as he belongs to Roger Penny who runs one of the biggest demolition businesses in the West Country with an annual turnover of around £8 million.

Penny said: "Someone must think a lot of Earthmover because of his place in the betting. It isn't us as we are not gamblers at all. I'll have £10 on a horse and be as miserable as hell when it goes down, then have a pricey meal on the way home and not bat an eyelid. I suppose that's the businessman in me - at least you get something for your money with food. I just might splash out £20 on him at Aintree but I will be happy if he just gets round in one piece."

Penny, 62, and his wife Catherine, have known heartbreak. They had four children. Chris assists his father in the business while daughter Elizabeth runs the family farm near Bath. But of their two other sons, one was killed in a bulldozer accident and the other died of a brain haemorrhage at 15.

The earth theme has been going for a long time with Penny. Other horses of his have been Mr Demolition, Moving Earth, Mother Earth and Moved Earth.

If Earthmover does turn up trumps, several of Penny's 140 workers will no doubt be celebrating.

Another great fan of Earthmover is Nicholls' three-year-old daughter Megan, who adores the gelding and regularly gets lifted aboard him in his box to be led down to the stable yard where he is reunited with Fitzgerald.

"She loves Earthmover more than any other horse in the stable," says Penny. "And looks so sweet perched on his back like a pea on a drum."

Nicholls bids for heaven on earth

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