Nichols Canyon was a small bay gelding with no white markings bred in the United Kingdom by Rabbah Bloodstock Limited.

Nichols Canyon was then moved up in class and finished unplaced in both the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot in June at the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York in August.

On 4 October he started at odds of 5/1 in the Listed Noel Murless Stakes over one and three quarter miles at Ascot and recorded his first important success as he won by two lengths from the Luca Cumani-trained Greatwood.

[7] Nichols Canyon started favourite for the Group Three St Simon Stakes at Newbury later that month, but after taking the lead in the straight he was overtaken and beaten by the four-year-old Cubanita.

Ridden by Olivier Peslier he took the lead 200 metres from the finish and drew away to win by four lengths from the six-year-old gelding Inis Meain.

[citation needed] Nichols Canyon made his debut under National Hunt rules in a Novice hurdle race at Cork Racecourse on 2 November 2014 in which he was ridden for the first time by Ruby Walsh.

[9] Twenty-six days later the gelding was stepped up to Grade I level for the Royal Bond Hurdle at Fairyhouse and started 7/2 second favourite in a field of seven runners.

With Walsh riding the Mullins trained favourite Allez Colombieres, Nichols Canyon was partnered by Paul Townend.

[citation needed] On 8 February, Nichols Canyon reappeared in the Deloitte Novice Hurdle over two and a quarter miles at Leopardstown and started second favourite behind his stable companion Alvisio Ville.

[13] On 11 March Nichols Canyon made his first appearance at the Cheltenham Festival and started the 7/2 favourite for the Grade I Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle over two-mile and five furlongs contest.

[citation needed] A month later, Nichols Canyon returned to England for the Grade I Mersey Novices' Hurdle over two and a half miles at Aintree Racecourse.

[16] On his final appearance of the season, Nichols Canyon was made the 4/5 favourite for the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Champion Novice Hurdle over two and a half miles at Punchestown on 1 May.

Walsh sent the gelding in front from the start and Nichols Canyon maintained his advantage throughout, extending his lead approaching the last hurdle and winning in impressive style by seven lengths from Alpha des Obeaux, Racing Post describing him as "a proper Champion Hurdle horse in the making - he is a stayer with speed who relishes his racing".

[18] On his first appearance of the 2015/2016 National Hunt season Nichols Canyon was one of five horses to contest the Grade I Morgiana Hurdle over two miles at Punchestown on 15 November.

However, Ruby Walsh regained his inside position near the rail and again went in front and from there on the lead was constantly disputed with both jockeys going all out, until the hundred yard marker from the finish at which Walsh mount battled hard and asserted to win by two lengths at the line, "making it one of the most enthralling races of the four-day festival"[21] Commenting on the gelding's success Mullins compared him to Hurricane Fly saying "To look at, he’d remind you of him, and there’s the sheer toughness of him.

In the following month he was sent to the United States and moved up in distance for the Iroquois Steeplechase over three miles at Percy Warner Park in Nashville.

In a race run in thick fog Nichols Canyon emerged from the gloom to win by twelve lengths from Jer's Girl.

In the Irish Champion Hurdle in January he started second favourite behind Petit Mouchoir in a four-runner field which also included Ivanovich Gorbatov and the French import Footpad.

[citation needed] On 16 March Nichols Canyon was stepped up in distance to contest the Stayers' Hurdle over three miles at the Cheltenham Festival in which he was partnered by Walsh and started at odds of 10/1 in a twelve-runner field.

Nichols Canyon was held up by Walsh as Cole Harden set a strong pace before giving way to the outsider Lil Rockerfeller on the final turn.

[citation needed] On his first appearance of the 2017/2018 National Hunt season Nichols Canyon contested the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on 3 December and finished second to the five-year-old mare Apple's Jade.