Paul Nolan

Principal Jockeys: John Cullen, Robbie Moran

Notable Wins:

• Barry & Sandra Kelly Memorial Novice Hurdle (Shinrock Paddy 2009)
• John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase (Joncol 2009)
• Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle (Clan Tara 2009)
• Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase (Joncol 2009)
• Doncaster Bloodstock Sales Mares' Standard Open NH Flat Race Final (Golden Sunbird 2009)
• Galmoy Hurdle (Alpha Ridge 2009)
• Cheltenham Business Club Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (Shinrock Paddy 2008)
• Craddockstown Novice Chase (Escrea 2007)
• Fortria Chase (French Accordion 2007)
• Like-A-Butterfly Novice Chase (French Accordion 2007)
• Swordlestown Cup Novice Chase (Accordion Etoile 2006, Say Again 2004)
• Drinmore Novice Chase (Kill Devil Hill 2005)
• Independent Newspaper Novices’ Chase (Accordion Etoile 2005)
• betdaq.com Hurdle (Accordion Etoile 2005)
• Arthur Guinness European Breeders Fund Premier Handicap (Cloone River 2005)
• Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (Dabiroun 2005)
• Greatwood Handicap Hurdle (Accordion Etoile 2004)
• ‘For Auction’ Novice Hurdle (Accordion Etoile 2003)
• Crown Paints Premier Handicap (Cloone River 2003)
• Guinness Gold Cup (Cloone River 2003)
• Powers Gold Label Handicap Hurdle (High Prospect 2003)
• Galway Hurdle (Cuan Na Grai 2006, Cloone River 2004, Say Again 2002)

Early Days

Paul Nolan first came into the public eye as a talented hurler in his younger days, playing in the 1992 Junior All Ireland Hurling Final for Wexford against Cork. However injury soon put a halt to his hurling career and he turned his attention to the racing game. He spent time with Jim Bolger where he learned much of what he knows and having made the bold decision to take out his training license in 1995, he hasn’t looked back since. His first runner on the racecourse was Rhythm Rock in July 1995 and he had to wait a while before saddling his first winner, eventually getting into the winners enclosure in March 1998 when he sent out Nibalda to win a maiden hurdle at Leopardstown.

After breaking his training duck, further success soon followed and Nolan’s profile as a trainer was raised significantly. One Fine Day won three bumpers for him while Change The Script, Quality First, Park Leader and Snowy Ford all made significant contributions to his cause, winning no less than 22 races between them. Torduff Boy was another particularly lucrative performer for Nolan during the early part of the new millennium, winning nine races in total.

First Big Winner

It was in 2002 that Nolan enjoyed his first big race win when Say Again ran out the ready winner of the Galway Hurdle. That win resulted in an influx of new horses into the Nolan yard and further success soon followed with High Prospect winning the valuable Powers Gold Label Handicap Hurdle at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival.

During 2003, Nolan proved that he was equally adept at training horses to win on the level, saddling Cloone River to win the valuable Guinness Gold Cup (Premier Handicap) at Tralee as well as the Crown Paints Premier Handicap at the Curragh. Earlier that summer, Cloone River had finished a close second in the Galway Hurdle and Nolan decided there and then that he would aim that horse solely at a repeat bid for the Galway centrepiece the following year, more on that later.

The Emergence Of Accordion Etoile And A Big Win At Galway

It was during the 2003/4 that Accordion Etoile began to look like a real star in the making, winning a bumper as well as two hurdles races including the Grade 3 For Auction Novice Hurdle at Navan, but it wasn’t until the following season that he proved himself to be the best horse Nolan had ever trained. In the intervening period, the horse that had given Nolan his first big race win, Say Again, returned to form to win the Grade 1 Swordlestown Cup Novice Chase. But the highlight of 2004 would come during the summer when the yearlong plan for Cloone River came to fruition when he landed a huge gamble in the Galway Hurdle. That horse went on to win his first two races over fences in the next few months before unfortunately succumbing to an injury that would keep him off the track until the following summer.

However, the absence of Cloone River was more than made up for by the excellent form of Accordion Etoile with him winning three valuable contests including an impressive win in the highly-competitive Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at the November meeting at Cheltenham. That win resulted in him becoming a strong fancy for the Champion Hurdle and while he could only finish a creditable fourth in the contest, that reversal was more than made up for later in the day when Dabiroun easily won the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle under Nina Carberry, giving Nolan his first winner at the Cheltenham Festival.

In June 2005 Cloone River was produced in fine shape from his return from injury by Nolan to record a hugely-impressive success in the Arthur Guinness European Breeders Fund Premier Handicap at the Curragh. That run understandably resulted in him being sent off as the short-priced favourite to record his second win in the Galway Hurdle, but he unfortunately fell when right in contention at the third last. Unfortunately he had plenty of injury problems since then and when he eventually returned to the racecourse over two years later, he could not return to anything near his best.

Having twice been beaten by a short-head in Graded novice hurdle during 2004/5, Kill Devil Hill made no mistake during 2005/6 when sent over fences, winning the Grade 1 Pierse Group Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse. However, he was not the star performer in the Nolan yard during that season as Accordion Etoile wasted little time in making his presence felt when sent over the larger obstacles. Following a highly-promising chasing debut behind Watson Lake, Nolan sent his stable star to the November meeting at Cheltenham where he got up in the final stride to win the Grade 2 Independent Newspaper Novices' Chase. After that he was put away with a spring campaign in mind and despite him disappointing in his three starts after returning to action, he gained ample compensation for his connections when giving Nolan his second win in the Grade 1 Swordlestown Cup Novice Chase. However, he also subsequently succumbed to injury and has not been at his best in just a handful of appearances since then.

Patience Required

The 2006 Galway Festival was again a happy hunting ground for Nolan with his improving novice, Cuan Na Grai, making all under Paddy Flood to give Nolan his third win in the Galway Hurdle. However, after that memorable win the Nolan yard has had to endure a poor patch of form that stretched from November all the way through to the beginning of the following season. Thankfully for Nolan, his runners finally came back to form in the summer of 2007 and French Accordion was the first of his runners to make a big-race impact, completing a four-timer over fences by winning the Grade 2 Fortria Chase at Navan. Escrea then joined in on the act by winning the Grade 2 Craddockstown Novice Chase at Punchestown in November. Nolan went a bit quiet for the remainder of the season, but he returned to form with vengeance in 2008/9.

Best Season Yet

In terms of total prize money earned, 2008/9 was the best season of Nolan’s training career. Alpha Ridge played a big part in his season, winning four races over hurdles including a listed event, a Grade 3 and a Grade 2. Nolan also saddled Moskova to win four races over fences, including two Grade 3 contests, while Clan Tara also got in on the act, winning three races over hurdles including a Grade 2 novice event. The gigantic Joncol stamped himself as a tremendously exciting prospect by winning his first three starts over fences, including the Grade 2 Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase at Naas. As if that wasn’t enough, Nolan also saddled three notable winners in England, with Shinrock Paddy winning a listed bumper and Dix Villez winning a cross-country race at the November meeting at Cheltenham before Golden Sunbird won a listed mares’ bumper at Sandown in March. It was a wildly successful year for Nolan and with him back to the height of his powers, hopes were high that he could register an even better tally in 2009/10.

At the halfway point of the season, Nolan has not disappointed thus far and is well on target to have his best ever season. He has already hit the target in Grade 1’s on two occasions, with Joncol winning the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase and the immensely-promising Shinrock Paddy winning the Barry & Sandra Kelly Memorial Novice Hurdle at Navan by no less than 15 lengths.

With those two stars in the form of their lives, as well as the likes of Quiamo Malta, Noble Prince, Clan Tara and Moskova are looking set for big-race glory in the near future, it looks as though Paul Nolan’s rise up the Irish training ranks is set to continue without relent.

Updated December 2009.