Olive and Georgie Nicholls team up for Ascot triumph
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Sat 21 Dec 2024
Young rider Olive Nicholls kept it in the family with a first Ascot victory as Thank You Ma’am came out on top in the Thames Materials Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.
Riding for her mother Georgie against a field which included a rival trained by her father Paul, Nicholls took up a prominent position on the chestnut as he looked to break his duck after finishing second on six occasions.
The duo made all of the running, settling into a lovely rhythm with a neat round of jumping to take the final bend in the lead.
No one could land a blow on the run to the line, and it was the 11-4 favourite who strode to a seven-and-a-half-length success to give the mother and daughter partnership even more reason to celebrate this Christmas.
The trainer said: “This horse has been second six times, he so deserves to get his head in front and he’s got quite a lot of himself in front today!
“I’m really, really chuffed. He will jump fences but I said I wasn’t going to give up until he won a hurdle race because I was nearly becoming the worst trainer on the planet if I couldn’t win one with him – but we got there in the end.
“It’s lucky Olive doesn’t have an earpiece because at first I thought she was going too slow, then I thought she was going too quick. When she jumped the last, I thought ‘oh no, she definitely got it right’.
“It’s really special working together. We get on like a house on fire, she works unbelievably hard and I just wish I had 10 children so I could sit and watch them work away!
“She so deserves this, I just want another one now!”
Related posts
RaceiQ runner-by-runner guide to the 2026 Grand National
Saturday ante-post tips: Alex Scott bids to follow up 25-1 winner
Grand National: I Am Maximus attracting support, with Townend likely to ride
Nicky Henderson: updates on my stable stars for Aintree
Grand National: Connections ‘devastated’ as L’Homme Presse ruled out
Featured offers
£30 in free bets when you bet £5 with Ladbrokes
T&Cs Apply
Claim Now
Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets + money back if 2nd to SP fav with Boyle Sports
T&Cs Apply
Claim Now
Get a £50 free bet when you bet £50 with Coral
T&Cs Apply
Claim Now
Bet £10 Get £50 in free bets in Multis with Betfair
T&Cs Apply
Claim Now
Bet £10 get £30 in free bets with Virgin Bet
T&Cs Apply
Claim Now
Copyright 2026 Racing TV - All Rights Reserved.
Please bet responsibly
Copyright 2026. All rights reserved