Top Gun shoots to score for Jack Nicklin
Saturday 24 June 2023
Jack Nicklin conquered with John and Laura Renwick’s home-bred NFS Top Gun at The Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby meeting as some of Britain’s best five-year-olds come forward for their age championship showdown, sponsored by the Billy Stud Auction.
Although an impressive 13 of the twenty-two starters managed fault-free rounds, none did so with quite the same speed as class pathfinders, Jack Nicklin and NFS Top Gun.
The diminutive son of Top Dollar out of a Couleur Rubin mare delivered a super-quick second-phase time that set the tone for the rest of the class to come, and saw the pair ultimately take the title in this prestigious final by 0.82 seconds.
“He’s very careful,” says Jack, 20, who hails from Ongar in Essex. “He’s one that I can really run to the fence, and he’ll always try his hardest when he gets there –?he’s a very fast little man!”
Jack also finished third in this class with the Renwicks’ NFS Henderson, logging a time that was just 1.01sec slower than his winning one. It’s a remarkable start to the weekend for the young talent, who only began piloting NFS Top Gun this season.
“It’s not been long, but he’s so good –?and so sweet,” he smiles. “This is quite a big step for the five-year-olds –?there’s not many rings like the one here at Hickstead. Before I started, I made sure to just give him a canter around and show him the big screen so he wouldn’t be worried, but he didn’t take much notice, even though the jumps are like nothing he’s ever have seen before.”
Image: Boots & Hooves Photography
.JPG "Chris Smith Clinches Back-to-Back Wins in the International Stairway at Royal Highland Show")
