‘It will be nerve-wracking’ – Paul Nicholls admits concern as jockey daughter Olive makes Cheltenham Festival debut

HORSE RACING trainer Paul Nicholls has revealed he is nervous ahead of his daughter Olive’s Cheltenham Festival debut this week.

Olive, 17, will jockey Shantou Flyer in the St James’s Place Hunters’ Chase, her dad has confirmed.

Paul Nicholls, left, will watch his daughter Olive make her Cheltenham debut this weekRex

Speaking to The Racing Post, Paul said: “She’ll ride the old schoolmaster Shantou Flyer at Cheltenham. He’s been around there a few times and is a lovely ride.”

Olive, who passed her fitness test to race at Cheltenham last week, partnered her first winner on Wednesday.

And she will look to produce a solid performance atop Shantou Flyer – who competed in the Hunter’s Chase in 2019 and 2020.

Olive’s first win came at Wincanton on Magic Saint.

And, after debuting at Cheltenham, she is then set to jockey the nine-year-old in the Foxhunters’ Chase at Aintree next month.

Speaking about watching his daughter win on Magic Saint, proud dad Paul said: “It was super.

“Watching every race makes me nervous, but she’s done lots of pony racing and mixes race-riding with eventing, so she’s got lots of experience.

“Obviously she’s in a lucky situation that we can provide her with some nice horses to ride but, at the same time, she does a nice job.”

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Looking ahead to Aintree, he added: “Magic Saint is a lovely horse.

“He’s had plenty of problems but if we can keep him in one piece he’ll go to Aintree and hopefully give Olive a lovely ride around there.

“It’ll be quite nerve-racking but she’s looking forward to it.”

Cheltenham gets underway on Tuesday, March 14 and runs until Friday, March 17.