Nicholls has been targeting his horses earlier in the season for many years now since, I suppose, he saw the way things were going with the firepower the Irish were being sent/buying.
Olly Murphy gets plenty winners but struggles a bit to get a roster of horses that can compete at Cheltenham. Skelton can clearly get them ready and I’d see top owners trusting him with them and Pauling seems to be able to get them ready too, hence the McManus patronship.
If I was in the bracket just below Henderson I’d definitely be almost inclined to ignore the festival – finding owners willing to do the same might be the tricky part of that plan.
Skelton seems to be the one most able to do both at the minute.