Latest news with #BritishJumpTrainers'Championship
Extra.ie
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Here's how Willie Mullins scooped €4m on way to historic Jump Trainers title
Willie Mullins has done it again and scooped a second consecutive British Jump Trainers' Championship crown ahead of Dan Skelton. He had 21 horses scheduled to run in the season finale at Sandown on Saturday, while Skelton saw out the campaign running just nine. Mullins fared the better of the two on the fateful day, with his majority eventually drawing him back into a pivotal lead. Willie Mullins. Pic:) Skelton's Riskintheground was the first up in the 1.50pm Jos Gifford Novices' Handicap Chase. The British trainer held a lead of £68,482 heading into the final day, having scored an across the card treble on Thursday last as as Gwennie May Jem and Doyen Quest came home first at Warwick and Cheltenham notched a win at Perth. That was followed by another win via Coco Mademoiselle at Perth on Friday, supplemented by a runner-up finish for Doyouknowwhatimean at Chepstow. Willie Mullins had 21 runners at Sandown on Saturday. Pic: INPHO/Morgan Treacy Mullins, for his part, came packing with as many as 21 runners at Sandown Park, ensuring a good jostle for the lead would ensue. And he made his presence known, starting out with a facile win for Oaksey Chase favourite Gaelic Warrior before Il Etait Temps ousted odds-on favourite Jonbon in the Celebration Chase, helping him assert. Training the second, third, fourth and fifth-placed horses in the bet355 Gold Cup sealed the back-to-back success for Mullins, with Skelton having to settle for second best despite leading for large parts of the campaign. 'It's relief and it's been tough work the last few weeks,' Mullins said after sealing the title. 'I feel sorry for Dan who has been leading the whole way and then we've had a fantastic last few months which made this a possibility. 'It's tough when you are beaten in almost a photo finish but we're very happy to win. 'I know what the last few weeks have been like for me and Dan will have been hoping for the best and it's tough, you win some you lose some.' "We pinch ourselves and I say to my son, don't think this is normal, this is not normal. Don't take it for granted." A must-watch interview with champion trainer Willie Mullins 🏆@Sandownpark — Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 26, 2025 Mullins ensured his season's prize earnings moved north of £3.2m (€3.96m) with his final day exploits yielding sums of £45,560 (€53,163), £99,662 (€116,295), and £18,210 (€21,249) from his three race wins. Having come into the final day with a healthy £3,283,054 (€3,845,326) banked for the year, Mullins added a cool £163,540 (€190,707) to that amount on Saturday to take him over the €4m mark. The title capture marks another milestone Saturday in 2025 for Mullins, who earlier this year watched on with considerable emotions as his son Patrick Mullins claimed Grand National success aboard his Nick Rockett.
Extra.ie
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Extra.ie
The seven-figure sum Willie Mullins has won in prize money as racing season nears end
Willie Mullins is on course for back-to-back British Jump Trainers' Championship titles having collected the prize for a first time last year – but he has healty competition in the money stakes as this year's finale nears. The legendary trainer is actually trailing Dan Skelton by £57,477 (€67,322) in the standings after the latter struck an across-the-card treble at Perth and Warwick on Wednesday. Mullins saddled just one runner at Perth compared to Skelton's 13, but the reverse is set to unfold at a key upcoming event that could decide the title late in the season. Irish horse trainer Willie Mullins. Pic: Ben Stansall / AF He has 21 horses scheduled to run in the season finale at Sandown on Saturday, while Skelton will see out the campaign running just nine. However, the English trainer does have a couple more chances to tack on a stronger advantage, with two more runners at Perth and two at Sandown this Friday. The likelihood is Mullins will reclaim a lead and duly secure the title, though Skelton admitted he was relishing the competitive edge in recent weeks as he paid tribute to his staff. Willie Mullins became the first Irish based British Jump Trainers' Championship winner for the 2023/24 season and could repeat the feat this season. Pic: Steven Cargill/Sportsfile 'I think there's an air of inevitability about it unfortunately on Saturday,' he told Racing TV. 'But I've enjoyed the last three weeks immensely and if we get beat we get beat. 'I've learnt a lot about myself, my staff and my owners – they've been absolutely phenomenal. 🗣️"I think there is an air of inevitability about it."@DSkeltonRacing is philosophical going into the concluding weekend of the Trainers' Championship.@jess_stafford_ — Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 24, 2025 'I knew what was coming (from Mullins on Saturday), I'm not surprised what's there and he's going to be hard to resist. I'll go down there with a smile on my face and we won't give up.' Willie Mullins has 21 horses running on the final day of the season. Pic: David Davies for The Jockey Club/PA Wire The figures behind the successes of the likes of Mullins and Skelton are staggering, with sizeable riches racked up thanks to their equine exploits. Each of tis year's top ten trainers have breached the £1m (€1.17) figure, with Nigel Twiston-Davies in at number six having collected £1,368,666 (€1,603,125) so far in the 2024/25 season. The top five features Olly Murphy at the back of the leading contingent on £1,548,655 (€1,813,885), Nicky Henderson in fourth on £2,168,475 (€2,539,858) and Paul Nicholls third having raked in £2,473,632 (€2,897,278). That leaves Skelton and Mullins battling it out at the summit, with the Irish trainer now in second place – on a whopping £3,283,054 (€3,845,326). Skelton's current total is £3,303,616 (€3,869,409).
