Mullins hot favourite to keep hold of his ‘cookie jar’

A thrilling British trainers’ championship will finally be decided on Saturday, as Dan Skelton bids to fend off the formidable challenge of Willie Mullins on the closing day of the season at Sandown.

Twelve months ago Mullins headed to the Esher circuit with a six-figure lead over Skelton and perennial champion Paul Nicholls and never looked in serious danger of being reeled in, with victories for Minella Cocooner and Impaire Et Passe ensuring he became the first Irish-based trainer since Vincent O’Brien 70 years earlier to lift the British title.

There is a slightly different feel to the conclusion of this year’s race, with Skelton having led the way for virtually the entire campaign and he appeared home and hosed before Mullins fired in eight winners across three days at Aintree and saddled five of the first seven home in the Grand National.

Even a Mullins one-two in the following weekend’s Scottish Grand National could not knock Skelton off top spot and the Alcester handler will take a lead of over £68,000 into the last day thanks to Friday’s success for Coco Mademoiselle at Perth and Doyouknowwhatimean’s Chepstow second – but with Mullins running 21 horses to his nine at Sandown, Skelton admits he is fearing the worst.

“Everyone here is full of hope and full of the possibility, but I feel like I know what’s coming on Saturday,” he said.

“I’ve known since Aintree that Willie was going to bring a few over for the Scottish National and a few for the midweek meetings and then he was going to attack Sandown with some vigour.

“But I didn’t sit back after Aintree and say the inevitability of all this is going to subdue me and my team. We’ve come out and done everything we can, our horses have been phenomenal and I’m so proud of everybody.

“My owners and my team, we’ve never been champion, we’ve never been to that dance. But the excitement that we might have done it and we might still do it – and the tenacity everyone is showing – is something I’ve taken a lot of heart from.

“It’s different when you’ve never won one, as you’re trying to get through the door and onto the dancefloor. Maybe the bouncer won’t let us into the party on Saturday, but we’ll try and do it.”

Despite the fact Mullins has not yet been in front during this season’s title race, the master of Closutton is long odds-on to emulate O’Brien by successfully defending his British crown.

The man himself, however, is taking nothing for granted. He said: “Dan is in front and we can think about all the points we might get on the board, but as we see every year in the Premier League, having points on the board is worth more than anything.

“The fact we are both in different countries means we’re not meeting each other all the time in the weighing room like you would in Ireland and we don’t ring each other seeing what each other is going to run or things like that, so it’s been very quiet and he’s doing his business and I’m doing mine.

“I’m sure we’ll have a bit of fun on Saturday and one of us is going to be disappointed and one of us is going to walk away with the cookie jar (the trophy) – it’s where I kept all my sweets in and whoever wins on Saturday might be lucky and find one or two left at the bottom!

“We had a great day at Sandown last year and they looked after us very well and we were totally amazed with the support we got, it was a great day and a fantastic atmosphere.”

With Mullins not represented until race three, Skelton has the chance to extend his lead with Riskintheground, who following two wins in the space of a week earlier in the month, goes in search of the hat-trick in the second race on the card – the bet365 Josh Gifford Novices’ Handicap Chase.

“We were always planning for him around this time of year, I always had the Cheltenham race in mind and we thought we’d go to Ayr beforehand,” said Skelton.

“He’s in the form of his life, he looks fantastic. It’s been 10 days since he ran, so it’s not like I’m running him three days later, and he absolutely loves it.

“I’m sure he’ll run very well, whether the handicapper has caught up with him, we’ll find out.”

Mullins fires a four-pronged assault on the Grade Two bet365 Oaksey Chase, with hot favourite Gaelic Warrior joined by a trio of stablemates in Gentleman De Mee, Appreciate It and Classic Getaway.

He said: “It took me all year to get Gaelic Warrior right but I got him right for Aintree. Sometimes you get a horse right once and that will be it for the year, but he will have to be at his best again.

“Paul (Townend) rides him and Mark Walsh rides Gentleman De Mee. They would be the first team while Appreciate It and Classic Getaway are sort of the second 11.”

In the same race, outsider Boombawn represents Skelton, who said: “He’s been a fabulous horse all year, he’s Grade One placed and a Grade Two winner, but look what’s coming over! We’re asking him an impossible task.”

Grade Two honours are also up for grabs in the bet365 Select Hurdle, in which Mullins again saddles the market leader in Kitzbuhel while Skelton runs Gwennie May Boy and Take No Chances.

“He’s a nice horse, but Nicky Henderson’s horse Lucky Place might be the one we have to beat. If
Kitzbuhel turned up at his best, I’d expect him to go very close,” said Mullins.

Skelton added: “Take No Chances has had a phenomenal year, she’s been consistent all the way through and will love the track and the ground, and the trip is no problem.

“Gwennie May Boy underwhelmed a little bit last time but was very good the time before. I’d like to think the pair of them can be real competitors.”

Mullins outnumbers Skelton 10 to one in the bet365 Gold Cup and has twice as many runners in the concluding bet365 Handicap Hurdle with four.