Mullins passes Skelton to retain trainers' title
Willie Mullins claimed a treble on the final day of the British jump racing season at Sandown to get the better of rival Dan Skelton and retain his trainers' title.Wins for Celtic Warrior (5-6 favourite) in the Oaksey Chase, Il Etait Temps (9-2) in the Celebration Chase and Jump Allen (5-1) in the Handicap Hurdle finale, plus the second, third, fourth and fifth-placed finishers in the Bet365 Gold Cup, ensured a day to remember for the 68-year-old Irishman.
English trainer Skelton had led the way for much of the year-long season and was more than £1m ahead in the championship - which is based on prize money - before the Grand National on 5 April.But Mullins, the first Irish trainer to win the British title for 70 years in 2024, saddled five of the first seven in the big Aintree race, including a one-two-three, to cut the deficit by £860,000.Skelton led by £68,483 going into the last day with £685,000 prize money on offer across the card.But Mullins had the stronger hand with 21 runners compared to Skelton's nine and trained the first two in the Oaksey Chase with Appreciate It following stablemate Celtic Warrior home to close the money gap, before seizing the advantage when Il Etait Temps beat the Nicky Henderson-trained Jonbon to win the Celebration Chase.It was a fifth Grade One success for the winner, who had been off the track for almost a year, but Danny Mullins, nephew of the trainer, put in a superb ride to take a deserved victory.Skelton needed a big performance in the Gold Cup to have any chance of the title but it was newly crowned champion jockey Sean Bowen who triumphed on Resplendent Grey (9-2), trained by Olly Murphy, while Mullins horses filled the next four places to give him the title.It was the perfect way for Welsh rider Bowen to complete his season, which also seen him pass 1,000 winners in February and make up for disappointment of the 2023-24 campaign.Last season he had been leading the standings before a fall on Boxing Day left him sidelined for two months, allowing rival Harry Cobden to overtake him and win his first title.But this season Bowen finished with 180 wins with Cobden in second on 143, ending his campaign with a win on the Mullins-trained Jump Allen in the final race of the season.The day also saw rising star Freddie Gingell crowned champion conditional jockey, while JP McManus won the champion owner title.
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