Rocket launches new Bailey and Nicholls partnership

Kim Bailey and Mat Nicholls’ training partnership got off to a perfect start as their first runner Moon Rocket obliged in style at Southwell on New Year’s Day.

Gold Cup and Grand National-winning handler Bailey had always promised his long-time assistant Nicholls that he would add him to the training licence once he passed the 1,500 career winners landmark.

That was achieved thanks to Chianti Classico’s victory at Ascot in October, with Bailey soon putting the wheels in motion for change at his Thorndale Farm base.

Bailey’s last winner in his own right came at Doncaster on December 29, but no time was wasted in welcoming Nicholls to the winner’s enclosure and cementing their new association.

Bailey said: “I’m absolutely delighted, Mat’s been with me for a long time.

“We had an agreement for a long time that he would come on board after I got to 1,500 winners, it has taken me slightly longer than normal but it’s the future and I’m very pleased for him that we have started with a winner.”

For Nicholls, Southwell proved a fitting place to register his first winner as a trainer having spent many of his formative years at the course and he was thrilled to see his name on the scoresheet.

He said: “I’m absolutely delighted and it’s been a long-time coming. I’ve been in racing for the best part of 30 years and it is great that Kim and myself are able to do this going forwards together.

“Southwell is the course I used to go to a lot growing up, so it means a lot my first winner is here.

“We’re delighted to get started and hopefully it is onwards and upwards from here.”

Nicholls is also hopeful of a bright future for Moon Rocket after he enhanced his reputation and remained unbeaten when stepping up in trip for the Jordan Volumix Concrete Novices’ Hurdle.

Sent off the 2-5 favourite after impressing at Doncaster in an easy win over Rebecca Curtis’ Newton Tornado in November, he again dazzled when sauntering home eight lengths clear of the opposition, with the victory potentially earning a return to Town Moor for the Grade Two Albert Bartlett River Don Novices’ Hurdle on January 25.

“When we watched the horse he beat at Doncaster run so well at Cheltenham, expectation levels rose even more and there was a big turnout for him here,” continued Nicholls.

“He’s a nice horse and we hoped he might be able to do something like that. We’ve always liked him and would have been disappointed if he had been beaten today.

“He’s probably entitled to have a go at something a little bit better now and maybe something like the River Don back at Doncaster would be up his street at the end of the month.

“He has plenty of stamina and is going to be a very nice staying chaser one day, but in the meantime he could be a very nice staying horse over hurdles.”