Nicholls may run Cornish Rebel and Royal Auclair at the Grand National

Nicky Henderson was initially handed the honour, but the rules had been misinterpreted by officials.

Both men had three winners but the award should have gone to the trainer with the most prize money, not the trainer with most seconds and thirds.

"It was a great week and that's the icing on the cake," said Nicholls, who also leads the trainers' championship.

Ruby Walsh, stable jockey to Nicholls, just edged out Tony McCoy for the Racing Post Festival Jockeys' Championship.

He clinched the win with victory in the final race of the meeting, the County Hurdle, on 4-1 joint-favourite Desert Quest.

That gave Walsh three wins and three second places at the Festival, with McCoy earning three firsts, two second and four third places.