Paul Nolan

The headline achievement so far is a pair of top-level wins, both coming at Doncaster on the same day — 24 January 2026. Landing one Class 1 race is a moment any trainer remembers. Landing two in a single afternoon at one of Britain's premier tracks is the kind of day that defines an early career. It signals that Nolan isn't just ticking along; he can prepare a horse to peak at exactly the right moment when the prize money and the prestige are on the line.

There are patterns emerging that suggest where his strengths lie. At Down Royal, he has turned out 3 winners from just 8 runners — that's a remarkable 1 in every 2.7 runners converting into a winner, a figure that suggests he understands the track well and targets it smartly. Trainers who win at that rate at a specific venue tend to do so deliberately, not by accident.

His most productive partnership in the saddle is with jockey Sean O'Keeffe, who has ridden 56 times for the yard and produced 7 winners together — winning roughly 1 in every 8 rides, which edges ahead of Nolan's overall average and hints at a genuine working understanding between the two. O'Keeffe clearly gets the best out of these horses. Nolan has also begun to develop a relationship with Le Moulin Rouge, winning 1 of their 3 races together — a horse worth watching as that partnership develops.

Ninety-four winners in four years, two top-level wins, and a trainer who clearly knows his way around Down Royal and Doncaster. The foundations are in place.