Mullins crowned British champion trainer on incredible Jumps Finale at Sandown
The Co Carlow handler once again denied Dan Skelton a maiden trainers' championship as he overtook him on prize money for the first time this season on the final day.
The victory comes 12 months after Mullins became the first Irish-based trainer since Vincent O'Brien 70 years earlier to lift the British title.
A surprise win for Il Etait Temps (9/2) under the trainer's nephew Danny Mullins over 8/15 favourite Jonbon in the bet365 Celebration Chase all but secured the trophy would be returning to Closutton. It followed an earlier success for Gaelic Warrior in the bet365 Oaksey Chase, with Appreciate It, Gentleman De Mee, Classic Getaway, Kitzbuhel and Energumene also picking up prize money in their respective races.
But the championship win was confirmed after the trainer had the second, third, fourth and fifth-placed horses behind Resplendent Grey in the bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase with Lombron, High Class Hero, Spanish Harlem and Grangeclare West respectively.
Jump Allen's victory under Harry Cobden in the last race on the card, the bet365 Handicap Hurdle put the icing on the cake for Mullins, who started the day £68,482 behind Skelton, after the English trainer increased his lead between Wednesday and Thursday with four winners across the two days.
The Closutton trainer sent a total of 21 runners to Sandown to do battle on Saturday, while Skelton declared nine.
Despite leading the championship since it began, there was an air of inevitability that Mullins would beat him to it once again since the Carlow handler saddled the first, second, third, fifth and seventh-placed horses in the Grand National earlier this month, picking up £840,000 in the process.
Sandown took the decision during the week to rearrange the races on the final day of the jumps season so the two richest contests on the day, the bet365 Celebration Chase and bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase would be run later on the card, with the first race brought forward 30 minutes.
Mullins had no runners in the opening two races, with Skelton's Riskintheground the first of the pair's horses to run, finishing seventh in the Josh Gifford Novices' Handicap Chase, the second contest of the day.
Gaelic Warrior got the ball rolling for Mullins as the 5/6 favourite won the Grade 2 bet365 Oaksey Chase under Townend, with stablemate Appreciate It coming second under Sean O'Keeffe.
Gentleman De Mee also picked up prize money for Mullins for finishing fourth, while Skelton's runner, Boombawn came fifth.
That left the 68-year-old less than £3,000 behind in the title race and after the fourth race he was ahead for the first time as Kitzbuhel picked up £8,560 for finishing third behind Blueking D'oroux in the bet365 Select Hurdle.
And he surged clear after Il Etait Temps won the Celebration Chase, beating Jonbon by five and a half lengths, with his championship victory confirmed some 35 minutes later.
Mullins has been installed as the 3/1 second favourite behind Skelton to win the championship for a third time next year.
Spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, said: 'Dual UK Champion Trainer Willie Mullins has once again shown that when he wants to win something in racing, he can win it. And while he left it late, we think there's every chance he could land the treble next year, making him a 3/1 shot to retain his title for a third time.
'Dan Skelton must've felt he was home and hosed before Mullins' Grand National heroics, and we think that he's the most likely winner of next season's title at 4/7 favourite. We best not sleep on Paul Nicholls, though, and we make the fourteen-time champ 5/1 to regain his crown.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Campese eating humble pie as Wallabies get ready for Boks backlash
AUSTRALIA are bracing for a violent backlash from the Springboks in the second Rugby Championship test in Cape Town on Saturday after their stunning upset of the Springboks at Ellis Park. The Wallabies' recovery from an early 22-0 deficit to post a first win since 1963 at the crucible of South African rugby on Sunday left many back home just as incredulous as the fans of the back-to-back world champions. Wallabies lock Will Skelton, however, said the 38-22 victory would mean only one thing when the teams clashed again at Newlands in the second round of the Rugby Championship. "They're going to try and punch you in the face this week," he said. "So we're going to have to be ready, have a good week of preparation again and really fight until the end." Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has been very clear throughout his rebuilding project over the last year that consistency of performance is the acid test of progress. That Saturday's victory backed up a win in the third test of the lost series against the British & Irish Lions was a huge positive, but the players know a humiliating reverse on Saturday would be an equally significant step backwards. Skelton said the Lions series, where Australia played well only in parts of the first two tests before producing an 80-minute performance in the third, had established a bedrock of resilience in the squad. "It's definitely been building throughout the Lions series," Skelton added. "We didn't have the best start against the Lions in the first test as well. "At 22-0 (behind on Saturday), we stuck to the game plan. We stuck to the processes. We stuck in there and we fought to come back to where we got the game." The win over world champions South Africa will mean little if they do not follow up in Cape Town, added back-up scrumhalf Tate McDermott. 'The Springboks were world class, we saw what they did in the first 20 minutes, they tore us to shreds, so we know that they're coming and they're coming hard. We've got to back it up,' he added. McDermott said he and his teammates on the replacement bench were in shock as Australia conceded three tries in 18 minutes but then in awe of the way the Wallabies recovered against the odds. 'The Springboks went bang, bang, bang pretty quick and the way that they scored their tries, through width, through skill and through power was exactly what they're famous for. 'But the way that we stuck in the fight was something I was really proud of from the bench. It looked like we always had that belief, even though you're standing there after 18 minutes and it's 22-0. "The fight that we showed to stay in there and the resolve we showed and the way we've fought our way back into that second quarter in particular was something we can be really proud of,' he added. The euphoria of the Ellis Park victory came less than two years after the nadir of the game Down Under, Australia's first ever exit in the pool stage of a World Cup. While some declared the performance in Johannesburg as the best by a Wallabies team outside a World Cup, former Australia lock Justin Harrison was more circumspect. "Comparisons with previous eras is impossible," he told Reuters. "But this is the best win since the nightmare of the 2023 World Cup, the best result for this group." Other local media sceptics of the progress being made under Schmidt, including Wallabies great David Campese, were hastily backtracking Monday. "I am eating humble pie," the 1991 World Cup winner told the Sydney Morning Herald, having said last week that Schmidt's team selection showed the New Zealander had "no idea about rugby". Reuters
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Glen Rovers stars old and new combine to book knockout place
Cork Premier SHC: Glen Rovers 1-19 Fr O'Neill's 0-19 This Cork hurling championship has little interest in suspense. With a round of group games still to run, purchased and taken are four of the six progressing tickets in the top shelf Premier Senior grade. In this Group 1, all tension has been removed from the conversation. With a round still to run, the group is decided and done. Progressing are Sars and Glen Rovers. Eliminated and finished are Erin's Own and Fr O'Neill's. Suspense was an infrequent participant in this Sunday evening contest. The Glen were never led. Fr O'Neill's never once stood level with their city opponents. From the 10th minute onward, the gap was never less than two. The gap was as close as two on just three occasions between the 10th minute and final whistle. Between the quarter-hour mark and 59th minute, the gap was never less than three. The Glen were never in trouble and yet they were never fully in the clear either. Fr O'Neill's were always in contention and yet they never appeared capable of overtaking their opponents. Their inability to do so means back-to-back championship defeats and early elimination. For the Glen, backing up their opening round win over Erin's Own has them back in the knockout stages of the Premier senior grade for the first time since 2022. Glen Rovers manager Tomas Mulcahy. Picture: Howard Crowdy Their position was strong turning around for the second period. Having hurled into a notable breeze, Tomás Mulcahy's men led 1-9 to 0-8 at the break. The goal was a sixth minute Patrick Horgan penalty following a foul on Eoin O'Leary. Horgan also accounted for five of their nine first-half white flags. Among their other contributors were midfielder Micheál Mullins and corner-forward Simon Kennefick. The latter was dangerous each time he was fed, the former continually broke lines and surged into enemy territory. Mullins and Kennefick were responsible for four of the Glen's opening five points of the second period. The midfielder provided the opening pair. He was fouled for another. Kennefick swelled his own tally to three. At 1-14 to 0-11 in front on the three-quarter-hour mark and breeze in their corner, suspense appeared to have gone for an early shower. Credit to Fr O'Neill's. They chiseled away. This Midleton venue was the scene of their Round 2 shock, at the expense of the Barrs, 12 months ago. They never stopped believing a repeat was possible. A Declan Dalton point from the sideline, a Dalton assist to sub Michael Wall, and a Kevin O'Sullivan point cut the margin to three. They would thrice more answer Glen white flags to bring the margin back to three. A foul on Peter Hassett and Dalton conversion on 60 minutes had them within two, 1-17 to 0-18, for the first occasion since the scoreline read 1-4 to 0-5 on 15 minutes. Suspense had a short stay. The Glen names, old and new, buried the comeback in the ground. Mullins manufactured his fourth point. Hoggie was fouled and fired over his ninth. Rob Downey plucked a Fr O'Neill's restart from the clouds. They'll be disappointed with just three points between the 45th and 60th minute. They'll be delighted with how they reasserted control at the finish. With the suspended Dean Brosnan still to return, last year's Senior A champions will be stronger again for the knockout stages. Their intention now is to enter those knockout stages as group winners. County finalists Sars will have to be bettered to realise such. For Fr O'Neill's, their second half surge required a green flag to properly unsettle the three-tone shirt. Their opportunity for that goal arrived eight minutes from time. A free was twice brought forward for dissent. It left Declan Dalton with a 20-metre strike dead straight in front of goal. Glen corner-back Adam Lynch deflected the free out for a 65. The reliance on Dalton was typically large. They hadn't enough threats dotted elsewhere. Their bid for a second successive county quarter-final appearance is over. Scorers for Glen Rovers: P Horgan (1-9, 0-6 frees, 1-0 pen, 0-2 65s); M Mullins (0-4); S Kennefick (0-3); E O'Leary, S Lynam, L Quilligan (0-1 each). Scorers for Fr O'Neill's: D Dalton (0-12, 0-8 frees, 0-2 65s); K O'Sullivan (0-3); John Millerick (0-2); R Cullinane, M Wall (0-1 each). GLEN ROVERS: C Hickey; A Lynch, D Dooling, L Coughlan; B Moylan, R Downey, E Downey; A O'Donovan, M Mullins; E O'Leary, P Horgan, R Dunne; S Kennefick, L Horgan, S Lynam. Subs: L Quilligan for L Horgan, C McCarthy for Dooling (both 45); J Brosnan for O'Donovan (53); D Wall for Lynam (55). FR O'NEILL'S: P O'Sullivan; M Millerick, D Harrington, E Motherway; M O'Keeffe, G Millerick, T Millerick; K O'Sullivan, R Kenneally; R Cullinane, P McMahon, Joseph Millerick; John Millerick, D Dalton, B Dunne. Subs: M Wall for Dunne (12 mins); P Hassett for O'Sullivan (14-15 temporary); P Hassett for Kenneally (58); R Kenneally for G Millerick (62, inj). REFEREE: W King.
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Moses Itauma net worth and how much he is getting paid for Dillian Whyte fight
All recommendations within this article are informed by expert editorial opinion. If you click on a link in this story we may earn affiliate revenue. Moses Itauma will earn big money for his bout with Dillian Whyte Cha-Ching Moses Itauma net worth and how much he is getting paid for Dillian Whyte fight PROMISING heavyweight Moses Itauma is set for a huge payday as he prepares for the biggest fight of his career. Moses Itauma made his boxing debut in January, 2023 when he fought and beat Marcel Bode at Wembley. 1 Moses Itauma is set for a massive payday as he takes on Dillian Whyte this Saturday Credit: PA Since then, the 20-year-old star has appeared in 11 more professional fights and won all of them. Advertisement The young boxer will earn his biggest paycheck yet this Saturday as he fights in a blockbuster affair against fellow Brit Dillian Whyte. What is Moses Itauma's net worth? Itauma has been in some big fights in his short career, most notably beating Mike Balogun via a second round knockout in May. He is the current holder of the WBO intercontinental heavyweight title. The Brit defeated Ilja Mezencev on May 18, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to win the title and has since defended it twice. Advertisement According to Bet365, Itauma has a reported net worth of £450k - but this figure is solely based on his estimated boxing purses. This reported net worth will sky rocket after his fight with Whyte as he is set to earn almost double his career earnings in one fight. Itauma will hope a victory will lead to a mammoth fight against undisputed champ Oleksandr Usyk for the WBO belt. What is Moses Itauma's purse for the Dillian Whyte fight? According to sources online, Moses Itauma is guaranteed $1million (£753k) while opponent Dillian Whyte is guaranteed $2.5million (£1.8million). Advertisement Depending on pay-per-view numbers, Itauma could earn another $500k (£376k) and Whyte could earn a further $1m (£753k). This would take the total for Itauma to $1.5million (£1.1million) and Whyte to $3.5million (£2.6million). When is Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte and what TV channel is it on?
