Exclusive: Paul Nolan in prime position to claim William Hill €50,000 top prize The William Hill Each-Way Extra Series is rewarding smaller National Hunt yards through a points-based competition across specified races. The series features 50 races running until April 26th, with trainers with less than 50 winners across the last two years eligible for the grand prize of €50,000. The top jockey takes €10,000 and a further €10,000 is up for grabs for stable staff. There are 10 points for a win, six for second place, five for third, four for fourth, three for fifth, two for six and a single point for finishing second. Nolan in Prime Position County Wexford trainer, Paul Nolan, is currently sitting at the top of the leaderboard following a successful weekend at Wexford, where he saddled three winners. The treble has put Nolan's yard in prime position to claim the €50,000 top prize and significant bonuses for his team of stable staff. With the series specifically designed to level the playing field for smaller operations, Nolan spoke to Niall Tierney and is full of praise for the new initiative. On the Initiative Overall "It's an unbelievable incentive. I think any of these new initiatives are just fantastic and it's great. It's a great boost for us. "Long may it last and hopefully everyone else could maybe look at them and say right ‘let's boost the game more and do the same thing.’ "I think it's fantastic and we need it badly. "It gives an extra boost - if you can win it - to the stable staff and to the jockeys and to the trainers." Why It's Important for Small Yards “The top four or five trainers, they can enter in the races, but the points will go to the trainers that are qualified for it. "So, it gives us a chance that if you are beaten, you still get points, you're still keeping yourself with a chance of winning it. "It definitely won't be over until it's over. “There's good points for winning a race. So, for someone that mightn't have won a race yet, if they win three or four races, they're right back up in the mix as well. "It's probably divided up against less people in the smaller yards. We would have 10 or 15 fellas riding out and so it's going to be more for them." On Staff Importance "Your staff is your yard. I know your horses are your yard, but the staff are so important because without them, they're not going to get exercised." "It's so hard to get staff at the moment, you want to make sure to look after the people that you have and we're very lucky. “We have a great bunch of girls and lads. "It's a great initiative for me to get 50 grand. You put up more facilities and stuff like that." Strategic Commitment "I'll certainly try to make as much of an effort as I can. We are lacking a bit in numbers but I'll try and definitely pick out horses to go for certain races. “If I have them, they will try and run in the William Hill races to try and win it for the staff and for all of us."
