Paul Nicholls: My goals? As many winners as possible, thanks!

Paul Nicholls isn't setting any specific goals this year - just send out plenty of winners and if that results in a seventh successive trainers' title then so be it. Simple, huh?

Now that the season is stepping up a gear, a lot of people are asking me about whether I fancy my chances of winning a seventh successive trainers' title.

And my answer is always the same to questions about what my goals are for the season.

To score plenty, and let the title race take care of itself.

I am told the bookmakers effectively make it a two horse race once again and that may be slightly disrespectful to the likes of Donald who has some top-class prospects in his yard. I am not confident of winning - I was misquoted in the Weekender this week - and I would honestly say that Nicky Henderson and I have an equal chance this year.

I gather that I am slightly favoured in the betting but you have to remember that it is very much the start of a new era here at Ditcheat, and I have more new horses in the yard I have ever had in the past. I have more than 50 new recruits.

So while title talk may get Nicky and I stressed at the business end of the season, we are great friends, and I genuinely think that we simply get on with the job in hand and let everything else take care of itself.

What is a fact is that I arrived at Ditcheat 20 years ago this week with just eight horses to my name, and I have trained 81 Grade 1 winners since and am only 20 winners off the 2,000 mark.

That really was the stuff of dreams all those years ago.

And I always remember what Paul Barber said to me when I arrived. "First and foremost boy, treat this as a business and the rest will follow."

I have always abided by that principal and it has reaped dividends.

And if Nicky does win the title this year, I hopefully will be able to point out to him that I at least reached 2,000 winners 13 years quicker than him. Can't think what he was playing at all those years!

Paul Nicholls / 7 Oct 2011