Dan Skelton and Willie Mullins have both earned more than £3m in prize money in British races this season The battle for the British trainers' title between Dan Skelton and Willie Mullins will go to the final day of the jump racing season at Sandown on Saturday 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 earned - 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 holds a narrow lead going into the finale meeting at Sandown where the results of big races are likely to decide the outcome he was more than £68,000 in front after racing on Friday but Mullins still remains most likely to win due to his strong Saturday hand with 10 of the 20 declared runners in the Bet365 Gold Cup where £175,000 is on offer Last year's winner Minella Cocooner and Grand National third Grangeclare West are in the Mullins squad Both trainers have runners in the Celebration Chase although the hot favourite Jonbon is trained by Nicky Henderson Jockey Nico De Boinville is out injured after a fall and will be replaced by Mark Walsh on Jonbon Racing will begin 30 minutes earlier than originally scheduled to ensure ITV viewers can see the final six races on the card and there will be updates on BBC Radio 5 Live but will Yamal build legacy to rival Messi Premier League reaction & Champions League race latest as Forest draw at Palace Trailblazer Zhao set to take snooker to 'another level' in China The final series of Man Like Mobeen has arrived John Simm stars in the provocative 90s drama Warm-hearted comedy with Ben Miller and Sally Phillips Follow two ambitious river restoration projects Who has made Troy's Premier League team of the week Alexander-Arnold leaves as modern Liverpool great - but fans will feel hurt Zhao beats Williams in historic final - highlights VideoZhao beats Williams in historic final - highlights 'Scheffler and DeChambeau wins further raise US PGA excitement levels' Match-fixing scandal to Crucible champion - fall and rise of Zhao 'We need to take a look at ourselves' - Arsenal stalling at wrong time Palmer's brilliance could be key moment in Chelsea's Champions League quest Europa League 'papering over cracks' for Man Utd - Rooney VideoEuropa League 'papering over cracks' for Man Utd - Rooney Ask Me Anything the new BBC Sport service designed to serve you Bayern's 'James Bond' - how Kane clinched his first trophy Nine bolters with a shot of making the Lions squad How 'absolutely outstanding' Palmer 'destroyed' Liverpool VideoHow 'absolutely outstanding' Palmer 'destroyed' Liverpool Still number one & 'sparring' with Draper - return of Sinner Saints 'punch' favourites Leinster in game for the ages VideoVardy the best £1m ever spent - Shearer Poppy's tears Elton John & Happy Gilmore - McIlroy on Jimmy Fallon show Two opposing views on football's transgender ban Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. The highly anticipated film charting the story of double Olympic showjumping gold medallist Nick Skelton will hit British cinemas soon Big Star: The Nick Skelton Story will premiere in London at the beginning of May hopefully it will be good for the sport,” Nick told H&H The big-screen version of Nick’s life story is described as “the official all-access documentary of national hero Nick Skelton CBE – one of the most decorated and enduring equestrian champions the world has ever seen “Nick’s passion and perseverance drove him to seven Olympic Games and inspired athletes in the sport worldwide.” The film includes interviews with Nick Skelton’s family and key members of the British equestrian community. Nick’s inspirational tale has been brought to life by a production team that includes Laura Kraut’s son Bobby Kraut in the role of associate producer contributing his knowledge and insight about the sport of showjumping and Nick’s achievements to the project “It’s taken a very long time to get the film out there because of Covid and various other things needing to be put in place so I’m delighted it’s finally going to happen,” said Nick “It was a great experience filming it all and they’ve done an excellent job making the finished product.” Nick Skelton and the British team John and Michael Whitaker His partnership with the hugely popular showjumping stallion Big Star also brought a new generation of fans Nick’s updated autobiography Gold was released in 2017 and soon fans will be able to enjoy unrivalled insight to this much-loved showjumping hero’s remarkable story at the cinema “I suppose mine is a good story,” said Nick Big Star: The Nick Skelton Story is presented by Debsdocs Productions produced by Dirty Robber and distributed by Dartmouth Films Irish trainer sends 21 runners to Sandown in final-day attempt to overhaul rival in gripping championship duel Mullins is top-priced at 1-6 to retain the title he won for the first time last year, and while stranger things happen in racing on a fairly regular basis – a 1-9 shot was beaten in a two-horse race at Fakenham less than a month ago – even Skelton has seemed slightly resigned to his probable fate in the run-up to this weekend’s decisive card. Read more“We have never been champion and have never been to that dance,” Skelton said “The excitement that we could still do it and the tenacity everyone has shown is something I have taken a lot of heart from We are trying to get through the door and on the dancefloor maybe the bouncer won’t let us to the party on Saturday but we’ll try.” Mullins is actually still about £67,000 adrift of Skelton’s prize money total before Saturday’s card which has a total prize fund of nearly £700,000 but he has 21 declared runners compared with Skelton’s nine and 10 of the 20 runners in the £175,000 Bet365 Gold Cup The general sense of inevitability about a successful title defence should not be allowed to diminish a full appreciation of the scale of Mullins’s likely achievement this weekend He has made such a regular habit of doing things that were previously seen as near-impossible that a second straight title success – after becoming the first Irish trainer for 70 years to win – could almost be seen as par for the course Since he has assembled the most powerful team of horses that jump racing has ever seen as one columnist in the Racing Post suggested this week: “The battle for supremacy in the training ranks in Britain is a phoney war until the spring and Mullins can pretty much win it whenever he wants.” But defending a title in any sport is rarely that simple talked after his success on Nick Rockett in the Grand National about his father’s relentless ambition and desire to improve at an age – 69 in September – when most of us would expect to be several years into retirement And Skelton has forced Mullins to improve to remain in contention for this year’s championship having already a personal target of £3.3m for the season which he felt would be enough to secure a first title after finishing more than £300,000 adrift of Mullins last year and despite Skelton having saddled 1,000 runners over the course of the campaign it all came down to one race: the Grand National three weeks ago when Mullins saddled the first three home and five of the first seven Even Mullins himself could scarcely believe that a six-strong team in a field of 34 runners would secure nearly 90% of the £1m prize fund and Skelton certainly did not see it coming “You can’t legislate for Willie taking £860,000 out of the Grand National,” Skelton said this week “We were in the position that if he won it we would still be OK but we are now in this end-of-season struggle and massively odds-on to get beat.” Even Mullins is not going to repeat his recent Aintree heroics every year and Skelton’s ever-improving stable will surely get its hands on the prize one day and the scale of Mullins’s achievement if the title remains in County Carlow should not be underestimated The market has taken the presence of Paul Townend aboard the lightly raced High Class Hero as a clear sign that he is Mullins’ main hope in Saturday’s feature at Sandown often overreacts in situations such as these and Minella Cocooner (4.10) could be a better bet at around 7-1 after an encouraging run to finish seventh in the Grand National three weeks ago has notched dozens of big-race wins for the yard on supposed second-strings and Minella Cocooner proved last year that he can hold his form on spring ground having won this race just over three weeks after finishing third in the Irish Grand National Sandown: 1.50 Riskintheground has chipped in £66,000 for Dan Skelton’s title charge in the last fortnight and is clearly thriving so a quick hat-trick – worth another £21,000 – is a distinct possibility Leicester 2.05 Having been gelded over the winter Completely Random improved to win last time out and can follow up here ShowAyr 2.00 Ramon Di Loria 2.30 Bin Ajwad 3.00 Mr Nippy 3.30 Spirit Of Acklam 4.05 Our Dagger (nap) 4.40 City Of Strangers 5.13 Vampire Slayer  Lingfield 2.15 Fravanco 2.45 Diamondonthehill 3.15 Appier 3.45 Go Go Boots 4.15 City Of Poets 4.50 Just Ten High 5.20 Calanthe  Windsor 4.25 Style King 5.00 Al Shababi 5.30 Sea Founder 6.00 Tycoon (nb) 6.30 Expert Witness 7.00 Queen’s Company 7.30 Skyelight 8.05 Torfrida Wolverhampton 5.50 Faster Bee 6.20 Gordon Norse 6.50 Hype Merchant 7.20 True Colors 7.50 Street Life 8.20 Aberama Gold 8.50 Synergism  Thank you for your feedback.Sandown 2.25: Last year’s Arkle winner was back to his best at Aintree last time and will be a warm favourite to pick up the £45,000 first prize Haydock 2.40: Myal is 2-2 over this course and distance and will appreciate the drop back to seven furlongs after a promising return over a mile in his first season with the yard and still on an upward curve to regain the winning thread after a drop in trip ShowNottingham 2.08 Calafrio 2.43 City Of Strangers 3.18 Expressionless 3.53 Under The Twilight 4.28 Ambiente Amigo (nap) 5.03 Bay Of Dreams 5.38 Beach Point Brighton 2.20 Poetic Force (nb) 2.55 Tawasol 3.30 It’s Tim 4.05 Zayina 4.40 Hawkesbury Legend 5.15 Havana Mojito 5.45 Kranjcar Wolverhampton 5.53 Crown’s Lady 6.25 Pina Solata  7.00 Four Adaay 7.30 Tapis Rouge 8.00 Corsican Caper 8.30 Radio Star 9.00 Bungle Bay Thank you for your feedback.Sandown 3.35: Hard to see anything but a third straight win in this race for Nicky Henderson’s classy and ultra-consistent Jonbon looks primed for a repeat off a 4lb higher mark Join Tony Paley from 11am on Saturday for our new racing liveblog covering all of the day’s action around the tracks Dan Skelton fought back on Easter Monday with an across-the-card four-timer including victory in Plumpton's £45,000 novice handicap hurdle Mostly Sunny's win added £23,764.50 to the trainer's total, while Willie Mullins could only manage third The reigning champion left Plumpton with a winner when Emerald Poet bagged £12,525.80 beating the Skelton-trained Le Beau Madrik in the bumper Earlier on the card, Paul Nicholls came to the aid of Skelton when saddling a one-two in the £100,000 BetGoodwin Sussex Champion Chase The Skelton-trained Asta La Pasta failed to make an impression while Westport Cove could only manage fourth for Mullins "We're loving it," said Harry Skelton The level of interest in the title race has surprised me and it's good for racing We're chipping away but we know what's to come and know the force Willie and his team have got." Skelton had 12 runners on Monday and away from Plumpton the trainer won two races at Chepstow with Deep Purple and Doyouknowwhatimean securing £10,585 in prize-money and Claim Du Brizais adding almost £3,000 with victory at Fakenham who was cut to 1-4 (from 1-3) to retain the championship The two title rivals have made a combined 71 entries for Sandown's jumps season finale on Saturday when Mullins could be represented by the likes of Lossiemouth Gaelic Warrior and Grand National third Grangeclare West "A wall of horses are coming over on Saturday and I think it's going to be very hard to resist them but we'll do our best," said Skelton Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £4,247.88 (Deep Purple Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – none (Gwennie May Star Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – none (Asta La Pasta TotalsSkelton £3,240,305Mullins £3,214,259 Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £471 (Wind River Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £6,337.20  (Doyouknowwhatimean Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – none (Kenmya Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £372.50 (Real Stone Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £23,764.50 (Mostly Sunny TotalsSkelton £3,271,250Mullins £3,219,727  Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £1,003.20 (Lady Jago Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £4,009.50 (Cusano Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £2,995.30 (Claim Du Brizais Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £5,770.70 (Le Beau Madrik TotalsSkelton £3,285,029Mullins £3,232,252 Title rivals Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton make combined 71 entries for spectacular Sandown jumps season finale  Haiti Couleurs seals 'amazing' Irish Grand National victory for Rebecca Curtis and Sean Bowen  Looking for free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more Published on 21 April 2025inBritain Copyright © 2025 Spotlight Sports Group Limited or its licensors Deputy Betting and Gaming EditorPublished: Invalid Date WILLIE MULLINS has broken Dan Skelton's heart AGAIN - and sealed a second British jumps trainer title after an irresistable end-of-season blitz The unstoppable Irish handler, who bagged a 1-2-3 in the Grand National and 1-2 in the Scottish Grand National en route to victory scooped the prize on the final day of the season at Sandown Skelton had a narrow lead in prize money for the title at the start of play today But Mullins took first blood and narrowed the gap to just £2,635 as Gaelic Warrior ran home first during the 2.25pm race Another win for Mullins at 3pm with Blueking D’Oroux saw him then move ahead by £2,709 with three races to go And Mullins then took a decisive £116,407 lead after Il Etait Temps claimed victory during the 3.35pm Bet365 Celebration Chase The Sandown showing completed a remarkable turnaround for Mullins with Skelton was £2,265,421 and 58 places ahead prior to Cheltenham. It caps yet another unbelievable year for Cheltenham Festival king Mullins - and more misery for Skelton. The Warwickshire-based trainer, whose brother Harry rides all his best horses, gave everything in his bid to keep his rival at bay. But Mullins possesses a simply frightening strength in depth at his Closutton HQ He shipped over a whole load of Grade 1-winning superstars - and didn't even need to declare the brilliant Lossiemouth It looks like next week's Punchestown Festival will be up next for her where she is set to complete a Mullins squad featuring the likes of Galopin Des Champs British trainers might feel like waving the white flag altogether knowing Mullins' true top talent is staying at home That's not to say they didn't help him win though mopping up the top races at Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals over the past two months Mullins made history when winning the title in 2024 He became the first Irish-based handler since Vincent O'Brien 70 years earlier to be crowned king And the truth is it will take a monumental effort from the likes of Skelton, Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson to stop him again next year Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ It looks like JavaScript is not enabled in your browser Mullins, who was the first Irish trainer to win the British championship for 70 years when he edged out Skelton 12 months ago, equalled his own record of 10 wins at the track’s festival meeting last month. Read moreHe could not add to his Cheltenham tally for the year from four runners yesterday adding £17,645 to the Mullins cause before Skelton’s mare Shakeyatailfeather went to post as 2-1 favourite for the Holland Cooper Mares’ Handicap Chase It was a clear shot at a valuable prize for the stable as Mullins did not have a runner in the race brought Shakeyatailfeather with a smooth run to overhaul the second-favourite on the run to the final fence on the way to a four-and-a-quarter length success The Skeltons also fielded the 3-1 favourite in the concluding bumper but while Sheezer Dancer finished strongly against the stands’ rail The final totting up before two Skelton-trained runners at Ffos Las on Thursday evening showed that Mullins had taken just £417 out of Skelton’s overnight lead of £30,761 Mullins is still a strong favourite to retain his title at 2-9 Skelton will have a series of chances to extend his lead on Saturday as Mullins has no declared runners in Britain while his title rival has 10 will send strong teams to the valuable two-day Easter fixture at Plumpton on Sunday and Monday which offers a total prize fund of £450,000 across 14 races There is a brief lull in the title race on Friday as attention turns to the finale of the all-weather Flat season including the All-Weather Championships card at Newcastle with a total prize fund of just over £1m have attracted a full field of 14 runners and Charlotte’s Web (4.07) a four-time winner already on the winter circuit is an eye-catching 10-1 chance for the 10-furlong Easter Classic Simon and Ed Crisford’s filly went down only narrowly in her bid for a five-timer at Lingfield in February having looked a certain winner when she hit the front a furlong out and Liam Wright’s 5lb claim is also very much in her favour Newcastle 1.50 Marchogion made rapid progress from a long way off the pace when third behind So Darn Hot at a track that should play to his strengths Lingfield 2.05 The prolific and dependable Mr Baloo may still be ahead of the handicapper after three straight wins by less than three-quarters of a length posted a new career-best to win last time and the up-and-coming Warren Fentiman takes off a useful 5lb Lingfield 2.40 A slight ease in class and the weights could see Dragon Icon notch a first handicap success Newcastle 3.00 The lightly raced Cracking Gold notched a first handicap success in a useful time on his first run after a wind op at Southwell last month and looks overpriced at around 16-1 Lingfield 3.15 The handicapper has given Silky Wilkie looks to have been brought along with a repeat success in mind and Oisin Murphy is back aboard for the first time this year ShowNewcastle 1.15 Royal Playwright 1.50 Marchogion 2.25 Quandary 3.00 Cracking Gold 3.35 Fivethousandtoone (nap) 4.07 Charlotte’s Web (nb) 4.42 Plage De Havre Lingfield 1.30 Tortured Soul 2.05 Mr Baloo 2.40 Dragon Icon 3.15 Silky Wilkie 3.50 Handle With Care 4.20 Optician 4.50 Coul Angel Chelmsford 1.40 Blue Force 2.15 Vecu 2.50 Bint Havana Gold 3.25 Kondratiev Wave 4.00 Sixpack 4.30 Sky Majesty 5.00 A Major Payne 5.30 Cristo Thank you for your feedback.Newcastle 4.42 The same £90,000 first prize as the Easter Classic and a big chance for Plage De Havre to extend Andrew Balding’s early lead in the Flat title race as he steps up to two miles for the first time 1.20 bet365 Novices’ Championship Final Handicap Hurdle (£100,000)Willie Mullins: NoneDan Skelton: None 1.50 bet365 Josh Gifford Novices’ Handicap Chase (£40,000)Mullins: NoneSkelton: Riskintheground 2.25 bet365 Oaksey Chase (Grade 2, £80,000)Mullins: Appreciate It 3.00 bet365 Select Hurdle (Grade 2, £80,000)Mullins: KitzbuhelSkelton: Gwennie May Boy 3.35 bet365 Celebration Chase (Grade 1, £175,000)Mullins: Energumene 4.10 bet365 Gold Cup (£175,000)Mullins: Grangeclare West 4.45 bet365 Handicap Hurdle (£35,000)Mullins: Bunting, Dr Eggman, Jump Allen, King AlexanderSkelton: Got Grey, Mostly Sunny confirmed runners and ridersEdwardstone Tom CannonEnergumene Paul TownendHarper’s Brook Kielan WoodsIl Etait Temps Danny MullinsJonbon Mark WalshMaster Chewy Sam Twiston-DaviesUnexpected Party Harry Skelton  'There were lots of bad words between us' - inside the most compelling and controversial title race of all time  Looking for free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing and sports betting Published on 24 April 2025inBritain The margin widened between Dan Skelton and Willie Mullins in the British jumps trainers' title race on Saturday but the championship leader may be left rueing missed opportunities after a series of placed efforts The day got off to a flying start when Soleil D'Arizona sailed over the final flight in Haydock's mares' maiden hurdle to add £8,169 to Skelton's prize pot and while the trainer was able to put an additional £24,000 between him and Mullins he had to contend with five placed finishes from his nine runners on Saturday Heltenham and Queens Venture finished in the runner-up spot while Strolling Along claimed third and the biggest prize of the day also slipped through his fingers at Haydock when Le Milos could only manage fourth in the £100,000 veterans' chase final The silver lining for Skelton was that Mullins was out of action for the afternoon with no runners declared in Britain and his hopes for Fairyhouse cut short when the meeting was called off due to heavy rain The margin between the two trainers now stands at £69,172 and although Skelton would no doubt desire better results on Saturday he admitted to enjoying the down-to-the-wire nature of the contest I'm really enjoying the title race," he said "You'd have thought I should be nervous about what's to come but if we get beat we get beat and I'll have to deal with that but I've actually really enjoyed this and hope we can do it the horses got sick or whatever that would be a real kick but we didn't legislate for Willie being first fifth and seventh in the National and winning the Boat Race and everything else – what can you do "We're still going strong and we'll continue to try to keep it that way After a week of steady yet marginal gains from Skelton Paddy Power cut him to 9-4 to maintain his advantage with just a week left of the championship as both trainers turn their attention to Plumpton's two Premier racedays on Sunday and Monday Skelton £3,211,982Mullins £3,142,810Difference £69,172 Standings at start of the daySkelton £3,180,333Mullins £3,142,809 Prize-money accumulatedSkelton - £8,169 (Soleil D'Arizona Prize-money accumulatedSkelton - £820 (Strolling Along Prize-money accumulatedSkelton - £9,460 (Got Grey Prize-money accumulatedSkelton - £5,910 (Le Milos Prize-money accumulatedSkelton - £4,860 (Heltenham Prize-money accumulatedSkelton - £2,430 (Queens Venture Prize-money accumulatedSkelton - none (Johnny Hooves Willie Mullins saddles four-strong team in £75,000 Sussex Champion Hurdle led by Cheltenham Festival and Ebor winner Absurde  Willie Mullins saddles four-strong team in £75,000 Sussex Champion Hurdle led by Cheltenham Festival and Ebor winner Absurde  The Punt Acca: Matt Rennie's three horse racing tips from Fairyhouse and Plumpton on Sunday  Title-chasing at Plumpton and history-making at Fairyhouse as Willie Mullins fights on two fronts on a Sunday to savour  Looking for free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more Published on 19 April 2025inBritain Kiss Will was a dominant winner of the 3m novice hurdle and had stablemate You Oughta Know back in fourth accumulating £24,912 in prize-money for the reigning champion trainer Paul Townend completed a double in the 3m mares' chase aboard Fun Fun Fun who led home stablemate Paggane in a 1-2 for Mullins They added a further £25,453 to Mullins' tally as Skelton's £52,777 overall advantage at the start of play was more than halved Coral shortened Mullins to 1-12 favourite (from 2-11) for the title on the back of the double The firm's David Stevens said: “This season’s title race will definitely be going all the way to Sandown’s season finale on Saturday but the momentum is very much with Willie Mullins right now and his Perth double has seen the reigning champ shorten to 1-12 to join Vincent O’Brien as a two-time British champion trainer." Skelton struck later on the card with the Harry Skelton-ridden Etalon in the 2m handicap chase The winning rider said on Racing TV: "He's not had the greatest winter but he's brought it altogether when needed The Alcester trainer completed an across-the-card double when Jeffrey's Cross landed the hunter chase at Ludlow under Sean O'Connor Mullins' sole runner at Ludlow was unsuccessful with the Brian Hayes-ridden More Coko falling at the last when beaten in the 2m novice hurdle Declarations for the jumps season finale at Sandown on Saturday will close at 10am on Thursday and all eyes will be on the runners from Closutton Mullins has 15 of the remaining 34 entries in the £175,000 bet365 Gold Cup and has Grade 1 winners Gaelic Warrior and Lossiemouth entered on the undercard Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £912 (Next Left Prize-money accumulatedMullins – £0 (More Coko Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £8,548 (Royal Infantry Prize-money accumulatedMullins – £25,889 (Fun Fun Fun WON Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £8,713 (Etalon Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £0 (Manala Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £3,388 (Jeffrey's Cross Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £752 (Madajovy Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £273 (Jo's Rainbow Dan Skelton runs hot favourite in bid to extend trainers' title lead - analysis and key quotes for feature handicap hurdle at Perth  Ladbrokes insist decision to withhold six-figure payout from stable lad is 'entirely consistent' with their terms   Looking for free bets? 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Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more Published on 23 April 2025inBritain Dan Skelton vowed his trainers' championship battle with Willie Mullins was far from over as the title race was brought to life at Cheltenham with runners from the two stables fighting out the finish to the £70,000 Matt Hampson Foundation Silver Trophy The Skelton-trained Riskintheground served it up to the Mullins challenger O'Moore Park approaching the last before staying on to scoop the £39,865 first prize A winless day for Mullins meant Skelton extended his advantage to £30,762 by the close of the Cheltenham card William Hill cut him to 4-1 (from 11-2) to claim his first title although BoyleSports have already paid out on Mullins who won more than £25,000 when scoring at Ayr on Friday could still play a part in Skelton's final effort as he is to run again at Sandown's season finale next weekend "It's going to be a very hard end to the season but we'll do our best," Skelton said I don't think we're going to win but the staff do and I'm going to lead them and hope that we do "I've entered a lot of horses and there's more to be entered yet Riskintheground will run on the last day of the season at Sandown – the trick is to run the right horses "I made a plan at the start of 2025 and I thought I knew what I had to do and then Willie went and won £840,000 in the Grand National We've had to change things up in these last three weeks; I know what we have to do but it's going to be hard." Riskintheground was giving owner Joe Tierney his first victory at Cheltenham "Joe is speechless and that doesn't usually happen often," joked Skelton It's great to repay him with a Cheltenham winner "We've had so much support this year I suppose no Irish [trainer] had won the championship [since Vincent O'Brien in 1954] so the intrigue and history involved with it meant Willie had support but this year I've felt a lot more support The six-year-old was pulled up in the Albert Bartlett on his last start but surged clear of Dr Eggman to win by five and a half lengths on this occasion The Newmarket-based trainer said: "He's a very exciting horse I'd say he'd be the nicest horse we’ve had going novice chasing but this would be the best we’ve had in a while "We'll put him away now and I think he could be a two-miler over fences." Manothepeople the horse who provided Paddy Brennan with a winning send-off 12 months ago struck at the April meeting again in the 3m2f handicap chase under Johnny Burke The win put trainer Fergal O'Brien on 80 winners for the season Unfortunately there were two fatalities during the day Typhoon Flyer died after he collapsed after the finish line in the 2m4½f handicap hurdle while Casa No Mento suffered a fatal injury during the 2m1f conditionals' handicap hurdle Dan Skelton fights back at Cheltenham, but for how long? How Willie Mullins resurrected his title defence in a staggering month  Irish Grand National field gets huge shake-up as 14 of the top 20 in the weights come out at confirmations stage  Harry Cobden's maverick flair is a glorious throwback to the past - and it's a crime he doesn't have more top-class rides  Looking for free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more Published on 16 April 2025inReports Dan Skelton struck with his only runner at Perth on Friday after Coco Mademoiselle won the 3m handicap chase The victory added £7,921.50 to Skelton's trainers' championship lead ahead of Saturday's title-deciding fixture at Sandown The trainer also added a further £2,843.10 thanks to Doyouknowwhatimean who was beaten just a neck in the 2m handicap chase at Chepstow Skelton continued to pull clear of title rival Willie Mullins at the top of the trainers' championship after scoring an across-the-card treble which included landing both feature races at Warwick and Perth while stablemate Snipe claimed £1,094 for finishing fourth It was Skelton's second winner on the card after 9-4 favourite Gwennie May Jem struck in the 2m handicap chase He rallied late to defeat El Rojo Grande in the 2m handicap chase and break his maiden at the tenth attempt Skelton pulled further clear of Mullins after Heltenham came out on top in the 2m4f River Tay Handicap Chase at Perth The 5-4 favourite got off the mark for the first time this season when claiming just over £13,000 in prize-money Hidden History earned another £3,645 after finishing second in the 2m4f handicap hurdle at Perth while stablemate God's Own Getaway scored a further £1,245 when third in the penultimate 2m4f handicap chase at Warwick Rock House added to his tally when finishing fifth in the penultimate 2m handicap hurdle at Perth Chuggy claimed the final amount of prize-money on offer when winning £242 for finishing fifth in the 2m7f novice handicap hurdle Mullins had reduced the deficit when 8-11 favourite Magic McColgan – his sole runner of the day in Britain – claimed £1,003 after finishing third in the opening 2m4f novice hurdle at Perth It took Skelton's overall lead to just under £60,000 and he said: "We've tried our best to extend the lead as best we can but Willie has always just kept us in check by running a few horses in the bigger races There's an air of inevitability about it on Saturday but I've enjoyed the last few weeks immensely and if we get beat Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £7,921.50 (Coco Mademoiselle Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £2,843.10 (Doyouknowwhatimean Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton make declarations for trainers' title decider at Sandown on Saturday  Looking for free bets? 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Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more Willie Mullins could call upon stable stars Lossiemouth Gaelic Warrior and El Fabiolo to win him the trainers' championship on Saturday as he has made 38 entries across Sandown's seven-race season finale card Among them is Scottish National hero Captain Cody and Grand National third Grangeclare West, while the Closutton trainer also has a strong challenge in the Grade 1 Celebration Chase (3.00) led by Aintree winners Gaelic Warrior and Impaire Et Passe Two-time Champion Chase winner Energumene and Il Etait Temps could also line up although they will have to take on the Nicky Henderson-trained Jonbon who is set to bid for a hat-trick in the last top-level contest of the British jumps season Mullins' star mare Lossiemouth could intriguingly take on another horse called Lossiemouth, trained by Polly Gundry in the Select Hurdle (4.10) who chased the Mullins-trained Lossiemouth home in second in the Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival Dan Skelton has 33 entries at Sandown including three in the bet365 Gold Cup with recent course winner Hoe Joly Smoke looking like the standout chance Take No Chances and Gwennie May Boy lead his Select Hurdle team Riskintheground, who held off the Mullins-trained O'Moore Park in Cheltenham's £80,000 Silver Trophy on Wednesday, could be set for his third run in the space of two weeks in the Oaksey Chase (2.25) Team Mullins take him on with Gaelic Warrior and El Fabiolo among seven entries If it all comes down to the last, Skelton looks likely to have the numerical advantage. He has entered eight and Mullins has four in the 2m4f handicap hurdle (5.20) worth £35,000 1.50 bet365 Novices’ Championship Final Handicap Hurdle (£100,000)Entries: 20Willie Mullins: NoneDan Skelton: None 2.25 bet365 Oaksey Chase (Grade 2, £80,000)Entries: 19Mullins: Appreciate It 3.00 bet365 Celebration Chase (Grade 1, £175,000)Entries: 17Mullins: Energumene 3.35 bet365 Gold Cup (£175,000)Confirmations: 34Mullins: Grangeclare West 4.10 bet365 Select Hurdle (Grade 2, £80,000)Entries: 12Mullins: El Fabiolo 4.45 bet365 Josh Gifford Novices’ Handicap Chase (£40,000)Entries: 21Mullins: Chosen Witness 5.20 bet365 Handicap Hurdle (£35,000)Entries: 28Mullins: Bunting bet365 Gold Cup (34 confirmations) bet365 latest betting: 11-2 High Class Hero bet365 Celebration Chase (17 entered) Asta La Pasta Dan SkeltonBoombawn Dan SkeltonBrookie Anthony HoneyballCaptain Guinness Henry de BromheadEdwardstone Alan KingEnergumene Willie MullinsEtalon Dan SkeltonGaelic Warrior Willie MullinsHarper’s Brook Dan SkeltonHeltenham Dan SkeltonIl Etait Temps Willie MullinsImpaire Et Passe Willie MullinsJonbon Nicky HendersonMaster Chewy Nigel Twiston-DaviesRubaud Paul NichollsSans Bruit Paul NichollsUnexpected Party Dan Skelton Dan Skelton restores £50,000 lead over Willie Mullins with across-the-card four-timer  Enthralling trainers' title race builds to a final-day shootout at star-studded Sandown  Coral cut Mullins to 1-4 (from 1-3) to retain the title after Sunday's action in which he picked up prize-money with four of his five runners in Britain Skelton also had a winner when Shakeyatailfeather followed up her victory at Cheltenham on Thursday with a gutsy success in the 2m3½f handicap chase but the trainer was eased to 11-4 (from 9-4) after his advantage decreased from just under £70,000 at the start of the day Mullins came close to taking Plumpton's last – worth £15,843 to the winner – with Mr Escobar but he had to settle for second and £7,290 Skelton said: "Willie was always going to take prize-money out of the day and it was just a question of how much He took more out of it than we wished he had We've got some big chances and we'll just try and get a few quid back and see what happens "We can't legislate for what happened in the Grand National he's pushing all the boundaries and making us all come up to his mark and it's a privilege to be involved We're trying our best and if we can do it I'll look forward to trying to win it another day Skelton's advantage passed the £75,000 mark before the Sussex Champion Hurdle on Plumpton's valuable Easter Sunday card but Daddy Long Legs followed impressive stablemate Absurde home in the feature to shrink his lead to £26,269 Knickerbockerglory and She's A Saint gave Skelton some place money in the race while Mullins' Sir Gerhard won £1,117.50 courtesy of finishing sixth There is less than a week to go until the championship concludes at Sandown on Saturday and both trainers are set to go head to head again on Monday at Plumpton, where the key race is the BetGoodwin Sussex Champion Chase Skelton £3,236,057Mullins £3,208,179Difference £27,878   Standings at start of the daySkelton £3,211,982Mullins £3,142,810 Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – £2,069.10 (Lady Kluck Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – none (Le Fauve Prize-money accumulatedSkelton – none (Denzil Prize-money accumulatedSkelton - £6,381 (Major Fortune Prize-money accumulatedSkelton - £6,381 (Knickerbockerglory TotalSkelton - £3,226,813Mullins - £3,200,890 Prize-money accumulatedSkelton - £8,713 (Shakeyatailfeather Prize-money accumulatedMullins - £7,290  (Mr Escobar 'I should probably quit while I'm ahead' - another Willie Mullins ace for Harry Cobden as Absurde lands Sussex Champion Hurdle   Could Paul Nicholls upset the Skelton v Mullins Plumpton battle with Sans Bruit? Analysis and quotes for Sussex Champion Chase  Looking for free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more Published on 20 April 2025inBritain Here we look at their runners on the bet365 Gold Cup card and assess where the title race will be won and lost  1st £20,8122nd £9,5683rd £4,7844th £2,3925th £1,1966th £596 Riskintheground Riskintheground is a spring horse who arrives in career-best form. He looks to have a great chance to get Skelton off to a flyer, and it's hard to see him not finishing in the money. 1st £45,5602nd £17,0963rd £8,5604th £4,2645th £2,1446th £1,072 Boombawn The might of Mullins is perfectly illustrated in this race. Hot favourite Gaelic Warrior will be hard to beat, and Skelton will be hoping his old boss Paul Nicholls can help him out by toppling the market leader with Pic D'Orhy. This could be a key race in determining the destination of the title. Boombawn will struggle to get competitive. Kitzbuhel Gwennie May Boy, Take No Chances Kitzbuhel has a strong favourite's chance. Once again, Skelton may need the intervention of Nicholls to keep Mullins out of the winner's enclosure as Blueking D'Oroux has a better chance than his odds imply. 1st £99,6622nd £37,3973rd £18,7254th £9,3275th £4,6906th £2,345 Energumene, Il Etait Temps Harper's Brook, Unexpected Party Unless Jonbon spectacularly underperforms, which seems highly unlikely, it will take something special from Energumene or Il Etait Temps to seize the near £100,000 for winning this Grade 1. Energumene was the subject of support on Friday, but surely needs softer ground to be seen to best advantage. The Skelton duo have little chance. 1st £98,4722nd £37,1003rd £18,5674th £9,2755th £4,6556th £2,3277th £1,1558th £595 Hoe Joly Smoke 1st £18,2102nd £8,3723rd £4,1864th £2,0935th £1,0466th £521 Mostly Sunny, Got Grey It will be a shock if the title hasn't been decided by now but six of the ten runners for the final race of the 2024-25 jumps season are trained by Mullins or Skelton Don't be surprised if the Mullins-trained Bunting bounces back to form or if Skelton's Mostly Sunny manages to build on Monday's fluent Plumpton victory He still looks well treated under a 6lb penalty Read more on the trainers' title race: Tale of the season: Willie Mullins looks set to get up on the line after coming with another perfectly timed run 'We'll have to have a go. We'll see you at Ayr, Perth, and as many meetings here between now and Sandown' - the trainers' title in quotes  'I know exactly what he’s going through' - the inside track on the title contenders by those who know them best  This is not the first time the trainers' title battle has gone down to the wire - and this one is better-tempered than some  Looking for free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more Published on 25 April 2025inBritain Punchestown and Sandown’s crowning British finale are still to come the sand is slipping rapidly through the hourglass in terms of the 2024-25 jumps season meaning that for devotees there is always much to savour over the course of Cheltenham’s two-day April meeting For the second straight year it also provides a significant potential source of funds for the protagonists in the race to be crowned champion trainer in Britain While nothing can be decided back in the Cotswolds were Mullins to take a decent chunk out of the £495,000 on offer on Wednesday and Thursday he could deal a near-mortal blow to his rival with Skelton's lead after racing on Tuesday just £10,030 Skelton escaped from Scotland with his lead just about intact but title odds of 7-2 in a two-horse race speak loudly of the expectation that his challenge will ultimately founder on the greater numbers at Mullins’ disposal at the end of a campaign when he has already saddled in excess of 900 runners in Britain and Ireland combined All Skelton can do is channel his inner Arya Stark and whisper to himself “not today and for once he outnumbers the Closutton juggernaut on the first day of the Cheltenham fixture to the tune of six runners to four Nor would victory for at least two of them count as a huge surprise the second of two races from Cheltenham to feature in ITV4’s coverage Mr Hope Street heads the betting for the 3m handicap hurdle (3.50) and he should be one of Skelton’s fresher runners having not been seen since December when second to Jipcot at Newbury Novice hurdlers aged eight and seven respectively it would appear both have required plenty of Mullins' patience although we are speaking about a trainer who With just a week and a half of the British campaign remaining victory for either would send Mullins to the top of the table for the first time since the final day of the season at Sandown 12 months ago 1.50 Newmarket: Wathnan runner drops from Group 1 to 6f handicap - analysis and key trainer quotes for £50,000 contest   2.40 Cheltenham: Dan Skelton and Willie Mullins run two each in £70,000 Silver Trophy Handicap Chase   3.00 Newmarket: 'Dropping back to six furlongs really suited her' - red-hot Abernant favourite bids to follow up impressive Listed success   3.35 Newmarket: Promising colts have questions to answer if they want to join Dancing Brave, Haafhd and Masar on the Craven roll of honour   Chris Cook: Strong cast of Craven contenders suggests the winner of this Guineas trial will have really achieved something   Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more Published on 15 April 2025inRaceday Intel Irish trainer ended season £199,507 clear of Dan Skelton who led the championship on every single day … bar the last Skelton started the day over £68,000 in front of Mullins but an easy win for the Oaksey Chase favourite and then a surprise as Il Etait Temps topped the odds-on shot Jonbon in Celebration Chase enabled the defending champion to seize control A victory in the last race for the Irish handler merely underlined his dominance but he had actually wrapped up the contest when saddling the second Mullins ended the season with a total of £3,570,990 who had led the trainers’ championship on every single day of the campaign bar the last The master of Closutton became the first Irish-based handler since​ Vincent O’Brien​ in the 1950s to lift the UK jumps trophy on the closing afternoon of last season​ Given the recruitment team Mullins has out sourcing horses for his yard and the high-profile owners he has with animals at his yard we could be looking at a similar scenario next year and into the future with many other owners surely attracted to having horses with a man more dominant than any other National Hunt trainer in living memory Dan Skelton and Willie Mullins (right) at Sandown. Photograph: David Davies for The Jockey Club/PAMullins said: “The last few weeks have been tough and they must have been tough for Dan too. That’s the way things go. I am very happy for all our connections and owners who once again have supported us with their horses. “I am very happy to have won the title for the second time this year but I am not making any predictions for next season and we still have a week of the season to go in Ireland. I am going home now to get ready for next week. As I said last week, it feels special to do something similar to what Vincent O’Brien did but of course he then went and also did it on the Flat, which I won’t be doing! “It’s been tough mentally and I haven’t read the papers for the last four days with so much going on, or watched RacingTV. I was reading more about other sports because there was so much going on in racing I tried to keep away from it all. Otherwise, you couldn’t get through it and I’m sure Dan was the same. “The press and TV make it all so public and it has been great publicity for the sport going down to the last day.” ShowWetherby: 2.00 Clermont Ferrand 2.30 Coma Cluster (nb) 3.00 Hymnbook 3.30 Stratocracy 4.00 Manila Thriller (nap) 4.30 Jojo Rabbit 5.00 Zappata 5.30 Miss Willows. Southwell: 3.15 Drifts Away 3.45 Ziggy’s Missile 4.15 Overture 4.45 My Margie 5.15 Dixieland Blues 5.45 Mythical Composer 6.15 Dutch Kingdom 6.45 Duke Of Oxford. Updated at 17.54 CEST26 Apr 202517.33 CESTDan Skelton congratulates Willie Mullins on his trainers’ title win “See you next year, same time, same place” Dan Skelton says to Willie Mullins. Fabulous sportsmanship from @DSkeltonRacing pic.twitter.com/o8n9mxXNIh 28-1 PeacenikFull betting vis Oddschecker 1st £18,210, 2nd £8,372, 3rd £4,186, 4th 2,093, 5th £1,046, 6th £521.50 Bunting (Mullins): Paul Townend’s pick, Grade One contender as a juvenile and plenty of time to progress over hurdles. King Alexander (Mullins): Beaten 20 lengths in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham last time, place chance at best. Dr Eggman (Mullins): strong second at Cheltenham two weeks ago, interesting with super-sub Danny Mullins aboard Jump Allen (Mullins): Novice with fair handicap form already, Harry Cobden’s booking catches the eye too. Mostly Sunny (Skelton): Good win at Plumpton five days ago, decent chance to follow up under 6lb penalty Got Grey (Skelton): consistent handicapper and top conditional takes off 3lb, perhaps still a touch high in the weights though. 26 Apr 202517.22 CESTWillie has won it It's official! Willie Mullins has retained his title. Congratulations to Willie and all his team. pic.twitter.com/UPUlrlqpPo A fitting winner, as the champion jockey @Sean_Bowen_ shows his class, guiding the game Resplendent Grey to a sweet success in the @bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase, for the @O_J_murphy91 yard 👏 pic.twitter.com/qulV6yza4K Updated at 17.26 CEST26 Apr 202516.59 CESTAs we head towards the Bet365 Gold Cup a race in which Willie Mullins has ten runners and Dan Skelton one these are “the latest scores on the doors” Willie Mullins £3,478,997Dan Skelton £3,362,590 100-1 Collectors ItemFull betting via Oddschecker 26 Apr 202516.52 CESTGreg Wood4.10 BET365 GOLD CUP HANDICAP CHASE, 3m 4f 146yds preview 1st £98,472, 2nd £37,100, 3rd £18,567, 4th £9,275, 5th £4,655, 6th £2,327, 7th £1,155, 8th £595 High Class Hero (Mullins): Paul Townend, stable No.1, is aboard, lightly-raced and should improve for the trip. Minella Cocooner (Mullins): last year’s winner, loves spring ground and back to form in the Grand National. Dancing City (Mullins): Multiple Grade One winner over hurdles, still early days over fences and should get the trip. Grangeclare West (Mullins): third in Grand National despite bad mistake at the last, but giving weight to the field. Lombron (Mullins): off the mark over fences on third attempt last time, Rachael Blackmore rides but unproven at trip. Olympic Man (Mullins): wears a hood after looking like non-stayer at an extreme trip latest. Probably looking for place money. O’Moore Park (Mullins): Good second at Cheltenham 10 days ago, likes ground and could take minor placing. Spanish Harlem (Mullins): no luck at all when fancied for Scottish Grand National earlier this month, interesting outsider Chosen Witness (Mullins): non-stayer in Scottish Grand National so this trip has to be a worry. Klarc Kent (Mullins): runner-up in Scottish Grand National two weeks ago, yet to win over fences though. Hoe Joly Smoke (Skelton): winner twice from four starts this season, but well out of the weights here. Updated at 16.39 CEST26 Apr 202516.30 CESTOver at Navan the Ascot Gold Cup winner Kyprios has won at prohibitive odds of 1-7 He is unchanged at 11-8 with Betfair to win again at the Royal meeting in June KYPRIOS! 😍The three-time Listed @BarOneRacing Vintage Crop Stakes winner @NavanRacecourse 🥇A treble for team @Ballydoyle 🙌 pic.twitter.com/rdHsykBbSo 200-1 Harpers BrookFull betting via Oddschecker 1st £99,662, 2nd £37,397, 3rd £18,725, 4th £9,327, 5th £4,690, 6th £2,345 Jointly with the Bet365 Gold Cup that comes up next, this is the most valuable contest on the card and it looks likely to evade both Mullins and Skelton as Nicky Henderson’s wonderfully consistent Jonbon is odds-on to win for the third year running. Mullins sends Energumene, a dual Champion Chase winner, but the ground is likely to be much quicker than he would like and if there is going to be an upset, another Mullins runner, Il Etait Temps, is much more likely to supply it. Energumene (Mullins): top-class at his best but without a win this year and would like more cut. Il Etait Temps (Mullins): Grade One winner at Punchestown on his last start nearly a year ago, but something to find with Jonbon on that form. Unexpected Party (Skelton): useful handicapper at his best but looks out of his depth in this company. Updated at 16.17 CEST26 Apr 202516.13 CESTWillie Mullins takes the lead with the third in the 3.00 at Sandown and both Dan Skelton runners unplaced Mulllins now has a £2,709 advantage over his rival Willie Mullins has hit the front in the title race. pic.twitter.com/djHkUGi0zj Pure class from @CobdenHarry to hold off the others 💪Blueking d'Oroux wins the bet365 Select Hurdle 🏆#ITVRacing | @PFNicholls | @Sandownpark pic.twitter.com/SUNDioy5cF Updated at 16.10 CEST26 Apr 202515.48 CESTWillie Mullins is now only £2,635 behind Dan Skelton in the trainers’ title duel after the bet365 Oaksey Chase Just £2,635 separates the pair after the bet365 Oaksey Chase 🤯 https://t.co/hK2SivOJFZ pic.twitter.com/0NyFQMaBAB 25-1 Gwennie May BoyFull betting via Oddschecker and a win for Take No Chances could conceivably be a momentum-shifter for Skelton for all that Kitzbuhel looks like a very worthy favourite for his big rival Take No Chances has finished a very respectable third behind Mullins’s top-class Lossiemouth in Grade One events at Cheltenham and Aintree on her last two starts has more scope for progress than Skelton’s mare after just three starts for the Mullins yard and has a few pounds in hand on Timeform ratings Kitzbuhel (Mullins): in his first season for the stable and still open to plenty of improvement Take No Chances (Skelton): never runs a bad race but a few pounds to find outside mares-only company Updated at 15.41 CEST26 Apr 202515.18 CESTHow the title race stands as runners from the trainers’ yards face up to each other for the first time at Sandown on the final day of the jumps season in the 2.25pm 🏆 How the title race currently stands: pic.twitter.com/MEijRkp5rl Updated at 15.19 CEST26 Apr 202515.15 CESTDan’s laughing for now … trainers’ title rivals meet at Sandown Dan Skelton and Willie Mullins meet in the pre-parade ring at @Sandownparkk before the third race. The title rivals share a brief chat and wish each other the best of luck. May the best man win! @DSkeltonRacing @WillieMullinsNH pic.twitter.com/svEVJSR7Ji Full betting via Oddschecker The first head-to-head between the title rivals on today’s card is one of the outsiders and he will be more hopeful that his old boss will take the major spoils with Pic D’Orhy He is the clear danger on form to Mullins’s Gaelic Warrior who returned to form with a smooth victory at Aintree’s Grand National meeting earlier this month but this very much looks like the moment when Mullins will start to stamp his authority on the proceedings Gaelic Warrior is a very obvious favourite on his Aintree form and Gentleman De Mee and Appreciate It also have a fair chance of picking up some useful place money Gaelic Warrior (Mullins): clear on ratings and an obvious favourite on his winning form at Aintree three weeks ago Gentleman De Mee (Mullins): Plenty of miles on the clock but arrives in winning form Appreciate It (Mullins): top two-mile novice back in the day Classic Getaway (Mullins): more a handicapper than a Graded performer but third or fourth would serve a purpose Boombawn (Skelton): ran well enough in a Grade One last time but probably looking for a minor placing Full betting via Oddschecker 1st £20,812, 2nd £9,568, 3rd £4,784, 4th £2,392, 5th £1,196, 6th £596 Another free hit for Dan Skelton as Mullins does not have a runner, and Riskintheground looks like a serious contender for this useful prize. The eight-year-old has already made a fine contribution to the cause in recent weeks, winning races at Ayr and Cheltenham which added around £66k to the stable’s haul for the season, and his ability to take races in quick succession is a big asset as he attempts to complete a quick hat-trick. Riskintheground (Dan Skelton): loves the ground and bounces back quickly after a race, big chance to make another useful contribution to trainer’s total. Updated at 14.36 CEST26 Apr 202514.30 CESTLeicester races have been getting some stick lately and this won’t help The first race is 1.35pm and I hope he gets across the road before then Leicester Racecourse and taking your life in your hands trying to enter as a pedestrian! pic.twitter.com/ALPXyqUDWx Top-weight wins! 💥Give It To Me Oj lands the @bet365 opener @Sandownpark for @gl_racing and @quinn_caoilin 🥇 pic.twitter.com/2zCAJqyhi8 Full betting via Oddschecker 1st £51,440, 2nd £23,650, 3rd £11,830, 4th £5,910, 5th £2,960, 6th £1,470, 7th £740, 8th £370.00 26 Apr 202513.58 CESTThe jump jockeys’ championship has at least been decided who is improving in leaps and bounds in the saddle 26 Apr 202513.49 CESTGreg Wood4.10 BET365 GOLD CUP HANDICAP CHASE, 3m 4f 146yds preview Updated at 13.52 CEST26 Apr 202513.38 CESTGreg Wood3.35 BET 365 CELEBRATION CHASE, GRADE ONE, 1m 7f 99yds preview Il Etait Temps (Mullins): Grade One winner at Punchestown on his last start nearly a year ago, but something to find with Jonbon on that form. Updated at 13.53 CEST26 Apr 202513.33 CESTGreg Wood3.00 BET365 SELECT HURDLE, GRADE 2, 2m 5f 11Oyds preview 1st £45,560, 2nd £17,096, 3rd £8,560, 4th £4,264, 5th £2,144, 6th £1,072 Kitzbuhel (Mullins): in his first season for the stable and still open to plenty of improvement. Take No Chances (Skelton): never runs a bad race but a few pounds to find outside mares-only company. 26 Apr 202513.29 CESTDan Skelton has arrived at Sandown en famille … Dan Skelton all smiles before the action gets under way at @Sandownpark. Will he end the day champion trainer for the first time? @DSkeltonRacing pic.twitter.com/AFSYu8uSsm 26 Apr 202513.25 CESTGreg Wood2.25 BET365 OAKSEY CHASE, GRADE TWO, 2m 6m 164yds preview Gaelic Warrior (Mullins): clear on ratings and an obvious favourite on his winning form at Aintree three weeks ago. Gentleman De Mee (Mullins): Plenty of miles on the clock but arrives in winning form, second prize of £17k would be useful. Appreciate It (Mullins): top two-mile novice back in the day, running for place money here. Classic Getaway (Mullins): more a handicapper than a Graded performer but third or fourth would serve a purpose. Boombawn (Skelton): ran well enough in a Grade One last time but probably looking for a minor placing. 26 Apr 202513.23 CESTOur so-called rivals have gone to town over the trainers’ title business with the “Currant Bun” riffing on the Benn-Eubank bout Will be a long time since the Sun had Latin in its pages Front page of the Favourite in The Sun on jumps finale day 🥊 pic.twitter.com/UjaeJf9l02 26 Apr 202513.12 CESTGreg Wood1.50 BET365 JOSH GIFFORD NOVICE HANDICAP CHASE, 2m 4f preview Updated at 13.16 CEST26 Apr 202513.02 CESTGreg’s been hard at work sorting out tomorrow’s winners too ShowWetherby: 2.00 Clermont Ferrand 2.30 Coma Cluster (nb) 3.00 Hymnbook 3.30 Stratocracy 4.00 Manila Thriller (nap) 4.30 Jojo Rabbit 5.00 Zappata 5.30 Miss Willows Southwell: 3.15 Drifts Away 3.45 Ziggy’s Missile 4.15 Overture 4.45 My Margie 5.15 Dixieland Blues 5.45 Mythical Composer 6.15 Dutch Kingdom 6.45 Duke Of Oxford 1.20 BET365 NOVICE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL HANDICAP HURDLE, 2m preview Updated at 14.03 CEST26 Apr 202512.45 CESTThe boffins at respected ratings organisation Timeform have crunched the numbers for us and that 1-5 about Willie Mullins is beginning to look very generous Yikes … Mr Mullins has more 145+ rated horses running today than Skelton and Henderson have in their yards combined Timeform ratings highlight the incredible strength in depth at Mullins’ disposal and just how difficult a task Dan Skelton has faced in trying to wrest the title from the champion Skelton was left with seven horses with a Timeform rating of 145 or higher while Etalon also reached that level when successful at Perth on Wednesday “It is not by luck that Mullins has been able to acquire such a deep and talented team - he is reaping the rewards for decades of success But when the Mullins juggernaut fixes on a target there is now almost an inevitability it will crush anything in its path.” She makes regular appearance on the live blog as she loves her racing As we countdown to the ⁦@bet365⁩ Gold Cup ⁦@Sandownpark⁩ , lovely to meet ⁦@carolvorders⁩ ! pic.twitter.com/MHdIsdTHuN 1.50: bet365 Josh Gifford Novices’ Handicap Chase (£40,000)Riskintheground 4.10: bet365 Gold Cup (£175,000)Holy Joe Smoke 4.45: bet365 Handicap Hurdle (£35,000)Mostly Sunny 1.50: bet365 Josh Gifford Novices’ Handicap Chase (£40,000)No runners 4.10: bet365 Gold Cup (£175,000)Grangeclare West 4.45: bet365 Handicap Hurdle (£35,000)Bunting Welcome to the new regular Guardian racing blog We’ll be here on every big racing Saturday throughout the year (including “Super Saturday” in July when the blogger on the day will have to be stretchered off before the last race) and what a way to start with the trainers’ title duel set to be decided on the final day of jumps racing of the season is set to be overtaken (spoiler alert) by the relentless Willie Mullins steamroller this afternoon who the bookies are currently quoting at a prohibitive 1-5 For every five quid you put on Willie to lift the trophy you get one back (plus your stake of course) But this is sport and glorious uncertainties are always possible Dan has nine runners declared at Sandown and Willie has sent 21 over from his Irish base; Dan has amassed £3,325,540 in prize money this season so far and Willie £3,284,057 outnumbers Skelton 10 to one in the big betting race of the day and has twice as many runners in the concluding bet365 Handicap Hurdle at 4.45pm with four Twelve months ago Mullins headed to Sandown which traditionally hosts the final day of the jumps season 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 Willie Mullins in his traditional pose “Everyone here is full of hope and full of the possibility but I feel like I know what’s coming [today],” 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 our horses have been phenomenal and I’m so proud of everybody.” Stay with us to follow all the twists and turns of the title race but that’s not all today We have Ascot Gold Cup hero Kyprios returning at Navan with a third victory in the most prestigious race at Royal Ascot his main target And we’ll have all the news and action throughout the day Keep tuned to this blog and you won’t miss a thing Looking forward to Kyprios returning today 👑 pic.twitter.com/OH1hTsr8Jk Asta La Pasta competes off a career-high 135 after making all in a four-runner Ayr affair that fell apart from halfway He had previously finished 28 lengths behind Teddy Blue when last of four to complete the course at Kempton and is only 1lb better off with that Harry Derham-trained rival last of 21 in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham in 2023 was pulled up behind Absurde in the County Hurdle last year as a 40-1 shot and never really got competitive when ninth of 15 behind Favour And Fortune in the Scottish Champion Hurdle later that season He has yet to win in four starts over fences in Ireland but his last two runs offered considerable promise that a third career success is imminent It could be that Paul Nicholls scuppers the hopes of both Skelton and Mullins in this race as Sans Bruit produced a tremendous performance for a second consecutive success in the Red Rum Handicap Chase at Aintree this month and a 9lb rise is reduced by Jay Tidball’s 5lb claim Sans Bruit is officially 6lb better off with topweight JPR One for the eight and three-quarter lengths he was beaten in Exeter’s Haldon Gold Cup in November Plenty of Nicholls' runners were needing their seasonal reappearance at that time and it would be no shock if he reversed the form Aucunrisque as he demonstrated when landing the 2023 Betfair Hurdle He is no forlorn hope for the Chris Gordon stable which boasts a cracking 24 per cent strike-rate at Plumpton over the last five seasons.Analysis by Richard Birch with good to soft in places on the hurdles course Showers were expected at the East Sussex track but watering was scheduled take place to maintain conditions if necessary Joe Tizzard, trainer of JPR OneHe ran well at Cheltenham but made a mistake two out He's got top weight but has plenty of pace and should enjoy it We'll ride him a bit more positively and he should be able to sit handy Paul Nicholls, trainer of Matterhorn and Sans BruitI've targeted this race with Matterhorn since the autumn and he needed the run at Newbury last time He'll improve and will love the ground and track but his mark of 142 is about high enough for what he's achieved The track should suit him but whether this is a bit quick after Aintree trainer of Asta La PastaI'm looking forward to running him as he was good at Ayr ten days ago It's a tight track this time but he isn't short of pace Harry Derham, trainer of Teddy BlueHe's won here before and if he's on his best behaviour he'll run very well I felt like his last run was his best effort trainer of AucunrisqueHe won at Ascot in November but the ground hasn't suited him since so we thought we'd have a crack at it Henry Oliver, trainer of Coastguard StationHe's come back from Ascot in good nick and he loves the ground He's won round sharpish tracks before and seems quite versatile 2.55 Kempton: 'We're hoping to use this as a springboard to have a pop at a nice race' - who rates his chances in the Listed Magnolia Stakes?  3.50 Fairyhouse: 'She seems in great form and will love the rain' - thoughts from connections for an intriguing Grade 2 at Fairyhouse  4.20 Fairyhouse: No Fact To File, no problem for Heart Wood? - Cheltenham Festival runner-up bids for Grade 2 success  Subscribe to Racing Post + Ultimate now Published on 20 April 2025inRaceday Intel The brother of likely champion trainer Dan on staying grounded and his hopes for this year’s festival Mon 10 Mar 2025 13.02 CETLast modified on Mon 10 Mar 2025 15.29 CETShare“There were some times that were very rough,” Harry Skelton says calmly as he remembers a defining period of his life when he and his brother Dan found a way to cope with the slow death of their mother from alcoholism “A lot of families have gone through worse but it was really hard and it was evident what was going on.” Read moreSo there is neither anger nor bitterness when Skelton addresses a distant trauma he is reflective and perceptive as he charts how he and his brother found light amid the gathering darkness of their mother’s illness: “We were just kids and it was out of our control But we got on with it and we had ponies and chickens and entertained ourselves I think that’s why me and Dan are so close He’s four-and-a-half years older and he’s supplied me with a fantastic career and made me what I am today.” Did their mother understand that her boys were on a path to racing glory? “No, I don’t think so. We were at Paul Nicholls’ yard when she died. I was 16 and I’d just started riding. My mum and dad [the Olympic champion showjumper Nick Skelton] had split up when I was two we moved back to Warwickshire to live with Dad In the last three years we’d probably become a bit more distant It was tough but we were young and ambitious We had a very driven father and we were like that as well Skelton’s hero as a young jockey was AP McCoy and like the great champion he refrains from drinking alcohol “It got the better of my mother and so it was a bit of both in terms of her and AP’s influence It can do wicked things to people and I never wanted to go down that road I thought: ‘If that’s the sacrifices you have to make Skelton pauses when I ask if he savours his winners I go to the races sometimes and out of six rides I’ve had trebles “Our game’s very good at keeping your feet on the ground and keeping you in the moment As a jockey you can’t get too ahead of yourself because you get beaten a lot more times than you win And it’s the losing that’s hard to get over He is such a likable and intelligent jockey that it seems important to linger over his four winners at the Cheltenham festival last year on the Wednesday and Thursday with a double both days I always dreamed of going there to win Grade Ones and having doubles because I grew up watching Ruby Walsh riding winners left When you get a taste of that you just want more and more Harry Skelton wins the Grand Annual Chase aboard Unexpected Party during last year’s Cheltenham festival Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian“There’s an expectation now But if people are expecting you to have winners If you’re not having any pressure you’re not training the right horses But hopefully we’ve got the team in its best form and we’ll deliver.” Skelton skips through their list of rides and the chosen horses ring out with winning promise “L’Eau du Sud has got a great chance on the first day He’s got a lot of good form and ticks most boxes Willie Mullins’ Majborough is just ahead of us “I’m also really looking forward to riding Protektorat in the Ryanair Chase He’s in great form and two-and-a-half miles around the New course at Cheltenham is made for him It’s a stiff finish and stamina really comes into play and he has every chance.” Be Aware is the favourite with numerous bookies in the Coral Cup and Skelton says: “He’s got a really big chance it’s going to bring out some more improvement and he goes in really fresh.” He also namechecks Take No Chances in the Mares’ Hurdles and Catch Him Derry in the Pertemps Network Final – but he and his brother know they have a long way to go before matching the might of the Mullins yard go to Cheltenham and challenge Willie for every race possible Ambition and resolve pump through the Skelton yard and it makes sense that Sir Alex Ferguson should be one of their owners They shared a stunning victory with Ferguson when Protektorat won the Ryanair Chase last year It’s moving to hear Skelton read the message Ferguson sent him when he became champion jockey in 2021 After the old manager praised him in intricate detail Fergie ended his note with these words: “You have to stay at the top of the mountain The Skeltons are close to fulfiling their primary goal of the season “The objective to start with this year was to try to make Dan the champion trainer and it’s looking good,” Skelton says with his brother almost £600,000 clear of Paul Nicholls in second place In his quest to become champion jockey for a second time Skelton is 23 winners behind Sean Bowen but he makes a telling point: “I’d love to be champion again but it’s going to be difficult to catch Sean He’s had more than 200 rides [more] than me My strike rate is better but I just ride for Dan I’m so involved here that I don’t really get the option for many outside rides I wouldn’t want it any other way because I absolutely love working with my brother.” There is also the large compensation of the half-a-million pounds Skelton will surely win as he is 52 points ahead of Harry Cobden in the David Power Cup In financial terms it’s the equivalent of a jockey winning 10 Grand Nationals and Skelton agrees that “it’s a life-changing amount of money That doesn’t usually come along for a National Hunt jockey.” Free weekly newsletterThe best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend’s action his wife and former jockey] and I have a little boy Rory is 10 months old and that money can really help with his future education and upbringing A lot of people have helped me and I would like to be able to give them something back Racing’s been fantastic to me so I’d like to give something back to racing – whether that’s one of the charities or somewhere else in the industry that’s given me so much.” Skelton’s love of racing and his shared bond with other riders is evident in his emotional reaction to the death last month of Michael O’Sullivan A lot of jockeys live on their own and we talk to each other For the person that sat next to him every day at the races “Being a National Hunt jockey is not glamorous We choose to do it but it’s very dangerous and we walk the tightrope every day There’s just something in us that makes us willing to take that chance I suppose it comes down to the taste of victory But did O’Sullivan’s death make them consider the dangers in a new way Of course it would be unfair on Rory if Bridget was still riding She misses riding the Cheltenham festival winners but she says now that her job is to be the best mother to Rory who is much more charming and urbane than most jockeys slips back into the amusing stereotype of the driven iron man when describing his reaction soon after the birth of Rory “He was born at 10 past five in the morning and I left at 10 past 10 to go to Sandown for five rides.” What might have happened if labour had been delayed “I’d have told her to push quicker,” Skelton says But his wry smile reveals that he is joking “Rory was born after four days of labour – or should I say four days of torture for Bridget It was an emergency C-section and thankfully everything was good But Bridget knew that my brother was chasing a trainer’s championship I’m not sure how many wives would understand that I had to go five hours after the birth to do my job But as long as Bridget and Rory were all right there would never have been a conversation about it Bridget knew I had to go and she wanted me to support Dan and ride winners.” When Bridget and Rory pop in to say hello it’s obvious that Skelton is smitten with them “They mean everything to me and it’s the same with my dad,” he says He’s 95 and he calls me every day on the way home from racing He gets so much pleasure from our success but he lets me know what I could have done better But that’s family – they’re your toughest critics as well.” Skelton smiles as the painful memories of his mother’s illness retreat still further Skelton adds one last line with winning clarity: “Family is everything.” Harry Skelton leads the David Power Jockeys’ Cup. Visit greatbritishracing.com but the highly anticipated film charting the story of double Olympic showjumping gold medallist Nick Skelton will hit British cinemas soon Find out more A woman who pleaded guilty to attempting to give rat poison to a seven-year-old mare called Elle cited mental health issues and the death of her husband 14 years ago – and said she pleaded guilty on her barrister’s advice but did not do it She was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs of £500 and £430 compensation Gill told H&H she had panic attacks after the incident Read full story Five-time Hickstead Derby winner William Funnell is aiming to secure the one derby title missing from his collection – Hamburg with whom he won his record fifth Hickstead Derby last year to the Al Shira’aa German Show Jumping & Dressage Derby (28 May-1 June) Read full story Star Sports (licence number 009177) is licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission We were delighted to get on the board at Aintree and while there were a fair share of frustrating moments over the three days It now looks like we’ve got a busy end of the season and we’ve got a real battle on our hands in the Trainers’ Championship after an amazing Grand National result for Willie Mullins ⭐ STARSPORTS.BET RACING MARKETS ⭐ Willie saddling four of the first five in the National certainly makes the trainers’ title a bit closer than we would have liked It’s going to be a busy three weeks for everyone We’ll run the horses that are due to run but only where it’s sensible to do so We’ve got entries in the Scottish Champion Hurdle the bet365 Gold Cup and plenty of other valuable races so there’s still plenty of prize money on offer I think we came out of Aintree last year £50,000 behind so although it’s a different scenario this time it’s still definitely too close for comfort we’ve broken £3 million in prize money this season and had Festival winners at both Cheltenham and Aintree It was a great honour to win the David Power Cup first of all Flutter for putting on the opportunity for National Hunt jockeys and of course to Dan and our owners that have supplied these horses to run in these ITV races and we’ve managed to gather up plenty of points throughout the season but it’ll support my family and I have a lot of people to thank A few thank yous will be going out and hopefully we’ll have a nice party for everyone to enjoy have also come up with an idea to hopefully give something back to the kids who want to get into the game We’d like to try and help some younger people coming into the sport It’s just incredible what Willie did really He has such strength in depth and his firepower is quite remarkable I’m sure this is the greatest moment of his career I was happy enough early on with Threeunderthrufive but after halfway it was evident that the engine was emptying and it was the sensible thing to pull up before Becher’s on the second circuit It was great that all the horses came back home safe and sound Thursday was a frustrating day as we hit the crossbar plenty of times with a few seconds but the horses performed well and ran their races below)was the one I was never quite happy with and I think he maybe could have performed a little bit better and perhaps the ground was too dry for him Protektorat ran well on ground that was good enough for him It was nice for everyone in the yard to get a winner in the last with She’s A Saint She’d been off the track for quite some time but she’s a decent mare on her day and it was a good training performance from Dan It was a brilliant win for Tristan [Durrell] and one of his biggest wins to date It was great to get one on the board for the team I thought L’Eau Du Sud was just feeling the effects of Cheltenham and a busy season We’ve asked him to go to every dance this season and he’s performed at all of them I think he was definitely a bit below his best in the Maghull and we’ll really look forward to him competing in all those top two-mile chases next year Dan Skelton was never going to give up without a fight The man who went from 1-10 to second favourite for the trainers' title in the space of a few days last week hit back with a treble on the opening afternoon of the Scottish Grand National meeting which stood at £122,000 before racing began Coral reacted by cutting the trainer's odds for the championship from 5-2 into 2-1 "It's a long way to go but these are all helping," said Skelton "We're better placed than we were last year Coming into this day last year we were actually behind It's going to be hard to resist his forces but we'll just do the best we can." Riskintheground gave Skelton his fifth win in the last eight runnings of the feature 2m4½f chase and he said: "We always try to target this race It's a lovely track for a horse who wants decent ground – they run downhill from turning for home and it suits a few of ours." The winner may be asked to do more to hold off Mullins "He's entered next week at Cheltenham and that's possible or he could run at Sandown on the last day of the season," his trainer said Easy novice handicap chase winner Asta La Pasta could return to action even more quickly as he is declared for Saturday and Skelton said: "The race never really materialised and I'll have a think about whether to run him tomorrow."      Roxanne made a winning jumps debut in the mares' maiden hurdle She's been really good at home." Of course there is more to racing than the trainers' championship — ask the eight people who travelled from across Britain to cheer their pride and joy home in the £16,000 3m½f handicap hurdle Five of them had travelled up from Norfolk, stopping overnight in Carlisle, and their excited cries might have been heard back home as Billy Boi Blue held off Skelton's Ace Of Spades by a head BDR Syndicates founder Colin Burr said: "Yes If you don't enjoy these days there's no point being involved." and Burr added: "This is definitely the high spot that's his fourth win for the syndicate and he wasn't expensive To come here with some members who've been with me since day one The syndicate also has a runner in the bumper on Saturday in Driftwood Bounty and Burr added: "I'm an enthusiast and have always loved my racing I've been a head gardener for 30 Roman Catholic nuns in Norfolk for 30 years I do this professionally but as a hobby – I don't want to make money out of it I just want to pay our way and have days like this." Looking for free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more Published on 11 April 2025inReports Copyright © 2025 Spotlight Sports Group Limited or its licensors, all rights reserved The latest battle in the British trainers' championship took place at Cheltenham on Thursday and it was Dan Skelton who was left smiling after keeping the reigning champion at bay before increasing his lead on the Ffos Las evening card. Britain’s only hope for title honours kept his advantage with £270,000 up for grabs at jump racing’s headquarters and was the only one of the leading pair to celebrate Cheltenham victory after Shakeyatailfeather’s success in the 2m½f handicap chase on the mares-only card. It could have been a double had favourite Coco Mademoiselle survived a mistake at the third-last in the 3m1½f handicap chase, but the impact of that defeat was minimised by disappointment for Mullins’ most promising runner. Sainte Lucie was sent off at 11-10 for the opening juvenile hurdle after finishing eighth in the Triumph Hurdle last month but could manage only fifth to 28-1 winner Lagoon Nebula.  Second and third places for A Penny A Hundred in the 2m4½f handicap chase and Sainte Tartare in the feature Listed novice hurdle added to the Mullins total and meant he took home marginally more than Skelton from Cheltenham.  However, Skelton added £8,788 to his tally at Ffos Las with maiden hurdle winner Ronnies Rules and handicap hurdle runner-up Delgany Deadline, meaning he ended the day £37,524 in front. “It was a bit frustrating with Coco Mademoiselle,” Skelton said at Cheltenham. “She was going very well but whether she’d have seen it out under top weight up the hill we don’t know. But that’s sport. “We’ll keep going and we’ll be ahead going into Sunday. Every day that goes by is a day you’re closer to it. You can keep ticking off the days, ticking off the races and hope that ours keep doing it.” Skelton will saddle the 2022 Coral Gold Cup winner Le Milos in Haydock’s £100,000 veterans’ final on Saturday, as well as having representatives at Huntingdon and Newton Abbot, while Mullins will have to wait until Sunday's Premier raceday at Plumpton to inflict any further damage.  Ladbrokes reacted to the latest action by trimming Skelton to 3-1 (from 7-2) and pushing out Mullins to 2-9 (from 1-6). “There’s no doubt in my mind that it’ll come down to Sandown,” said Skelton. “I think someone’s going to be beaten by a very small margin. No-one has ever won more than £3 million in the championship and been beaten but someone will this year. It’s odds-on that it’s me but I’ll do everything I can to make sure it’s not.” The Sussex Champion Hurdle is the highlight on Plumpton’s Sunday card and could have a significant bearing on the outcome of the championship with £75,000 up for grabs.  Mullins has seven of the 23 entries, including the topweight Daddy Long Legs and County Hurdle first and third Kargese and Absurde. Skelton has four, with the Aintree festival winner She’s A Saint arguably the most interesting of them. Standings at start of the daySkelton £3,155,926Mullins £3,125,165 Prize-money accumulatedMullins - £1,072 (Sainte Lucie, 5th) StandingsSkelton £3,155,926Mullins £3,126,237 Prize-money accumulatedNone from either Standings afterSkelton £3,155,926Mullins £3,126,237 Prize-money accumulatedMullins - £1,474 (Judicieuse Allen, 5th) StandingsSkelton £3,155,926Mullins £3,138,530 Prize-money accumulatedMullins - £4,280 (Sainte Tartare, 3rd)Skelton - £536 (Settle Down Jill, 6th) StandingsSkelton £3,156,462Mullins £3,142,809 Prize-money accumulatedSkelton - £13,203 (Shakeyatailfeather, WON) StandingsSkelton £3,169,665Mullins £3,142,809 Prize-money accumulatedSkelton - £1,881 (Sheezer Dancer, 3rd) StandingsSkelton £3,171,546Mullins £3,142,809 Prize-money accumulatedSkelton - £8,787 (5.45: Delgany Deadline StandingsSkelton £3,180,333Mullins £3,142,809 Skelton £3,180,333Mullins £3,142,809Difference £37,524 'We'll paint Cheltenham red' - Irish syndicate plans big celebration after pulling off 28-1 coup with first-time winner in opener Looking for free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more Published on 17 April 2025inBritain Last year's runner-up held a lead of more than £1.3 million over Mullins going into Aintree's Grand National meeting this month but after saddling eight winners in Liverpool including the first three home in the £1m showpiece Mullins had reduced Skelton's lead to less than £125,000 by the end of the National meeting Skelton had stretched that advantage to almost £170,000 by the close of play on Friday and at one stage on Saturday was £177,863 ahead of Mullins but the master of Closutton took a huge bite out of that lead as Captain Cody collected £112,540 by winning the Scottish National with stablemate Klarc Kent adding an additional £42,400 to the Mullins coffers in second and seventh-placed Olympic Man contributing £1,320 Mullins saddled 17 runners at Ayr on Saturday and by the end of racing trailed Skelton by just £1,431 Both trainers are well represented at Cheltenham's April meeting starting on Wednesday with Mullins holding 16 entries over the two-day fixture compared to 25 entries for Skelton The title will be decided at Sandown on April 26 with several potential key battlegrounds before then but the two-day April meeting at Cheltenham could prove crucial in determining who heads into Sandown with the upper hand There is £480,000 available in prize-money with the £70,000 Silver Trophy the feature on the opening day Mullins dominates the front of that Silver Trophy market with Classic Getaway and Tullyhill disputing favouritism in front of stablemate O'Moore Park Skelton has the option of backing up Friday's Ayr winner Riskintheground quickly or relying on Harper's Brook It's a relatively quiet Saturday over jumps in Britain with Musselburgh's Flat action taking priority but there is still the small matter of a £100,000 Unibet Middle Distance Veterans' Handicap Chase There are two £40,000 challenger series finals also on the card The East Sussex track often punches above its weight with prize-money and its two-day Easter meeting is no different the £75,000 Sussex Champion Hurdle and £100,000 Sussex Champion Chase Skelton's track record at Plumpton is 5-28 in the last five seasons while Mullins has sent only one runner across in that time with More Coko beaten at 1-8 under Patrick Mullins last month Racing returns to Perth with a three-day meeting on the final week of the season Although no pot is bigger than the £40,000 Listed novice hurdle on the opening day there is £312,000 in prize-money up for grabs across the meeting Mullins has had seven runners at Perth in the last five seasons although all bar one finished in the first four Skelton has had 19 runners at the track in that time It could all come down to the final day at Sandown with the Grade 1 bet365 Celebration Chase and the bet365 Gold Cup both worth £175,000 Jonbon is expected to be favourite for the Celebration Chase given his flawless record at Sandown for Nicky Henderson the early entries are out for the bet365 Gold Cup which Mullins claimed last year with Minella Cocooner Talented novice Dancing City is the 8-1 ante-post favourite with the sponsors for Mullins who is responsible for 14 of the 61 entries a two-time course winner this season and available at 11-1 with bet365 The meeting also features the £100,000 bet365 Novices' Championship Final Handicap Hurdle and two £80,000 Grade 2s 'I told Harry to put on his best female voice' - Captain Cody leads home stable one-two for Willie Mullins under ice-cool Cobden  2025 Scottish Grand National result: where your horse finished and who won  Looking for free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more Published on 12 April 2025inBritain numerically we’ve done pretty well and prize money has been excellent I rode three Grade 1 winners which is always important and not easy to do and winning the David Power Cup was a real highlight we just came up short in the Trainers’ Championship but we can hold our heads up high after pushing Willie [Mullins] all the way Everything we’ve achieved this season is down to the tireless work of the staff and we certainly couldn’t do it without them so everyone at the yard deserves a huge amount of credit Winning the David Power Cup was quite a highlight It’s an amazing opportunity for Jump jockeys with such fantastic prize money on offer With all the races on ITV and for it to happen over the length of the season it was brilliant to finally win it at Aintree L’Eau Du Sud winning a Grade 1 was another highlight He helped put plenty of points on the board for me in the David Power Cup and he had a great year He danced every dance and was really tough all season long The New Lion is really exciting going forward We always hoped that he could do what he did I think next year our options are open but it’s most likely we’ll stay down the hurdles route A lot of horses have dropped back in trip to run in a Champion Hurdle after winning his novice race at Cheltenham so that’s an option and is something we’ll talk about over the summer He’s a horse with a lot of potential and I think he can improve again next season I think the horses held their form pretty well throughout the year Dan and I do just feel that at times some of the horses could have been a little bit better so I think there’s some room for improvement I just think one or two were underperforming and then they would suddenly hit form for whatever reason There were a few that we just struggled with all the way through and then once the spring came Horses like Etalon have been in and out all year and we could never quite get them right but he really came to life at Perth last week I think we can train them a little differently next year which will hopefully see them produce more consistent form We knew going into that final day at Sandown that we were waiting for the inevitable The strength in depth that Willie has is unbelievable I think over the last 10 days of the season but the horses performed at Perth and we had winners at Plumpton Our owners have been unbelievably supportive throughout the year and the last couple of weeks The support that we have got from the general public and racegoers over the last month has been quite something I haven’t been to Plumpton for five years but the atmosphere on those two days down there was electric The amount of people that have been wishing us good luck and cheering us on has been brilliant I’m unbelievably proud of the way Dan has handled everything in the last month He’s never said it was over until it was over He could have come out of Aintree and said this is going to be impossible We’ll give everything and we’ll fight to the end He’s fantastic to work with and to work for and I think all our team would echo that I think it’s only a matter of time before he gets his name on that trophy and we’ll all help push him all the way It’s evident what a fantastic year we’ve had and that’s down to all the team and staff that have been working tirelessly to keep the horses in good form and produce them for the days Our team of jockeys have had a fantastic season as well Tristan [Durrell] has had a great year and he’s a really improving jockey He started here with us from scratch and he’s only getting better so it’s great to see him progress like he has and she’s up there on the ladies’ amateur championship Charlie Todd and Sean O’Connor have ridden us winners too There are a lot of people who have contributed to this season and everyone has played their part I feel that our horses are improving and getting better all the time I won on a lot of nice youngsters – bumper horses and novice hurdlers – this campaign so hopefully for the coming seasons there’s a lot to look forward to They’re at the start of their careers but hopefully they’re only going to get better and prove to be Graded horses in time It takes time to get there but this season we’ve had more youngsters than ever coming through Hopefully next season we’ll have an even stronger team to look forward to The title race between Dan Skelton and Willie Mullins is the big talking point in the final two weeks of the British jumps season and the pair are responsible for the top three in the betting in this £70,000 event He recorded a Racing Post Rating of 159 when beating Saint Sam at Gowran suggesting his official mark of 157 is not necessarily beyond him O’Moore Park carries just 10st 9lb and belied odds of 66-1 when third behind Caldwell Potter in the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase at the festival last month and faces more battle-hardened handicappers here Nico de Boinville’s mount had Riskintheground back in fifth when winning at Newbury last month with that victory taking his form figures on good ground for Henderson to 31211 He has plenty of scope for more improvement in such conditions.Analysis by Jack Haynes John McConnell does not have the trainers’ championship on his agenda like Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton but he has enjoyed a level of dominance similar to his counterparts in Britain since Grand National day Five of McConnell’s last six runners in Britain have won and Callum Pritchard, who partnered two of those winners at Kelso last Monday, has been booked for Moon D'Orange in a bid to keep the County Meath trainer’s red-hot run going Pritchard’s claim means Moon D'Orange is only 3lb worse off than for his course-and-distance success on Trials day and 3lb lower than when sent off the same 7-1 price as the winner Caldwell Potter in the Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase McConnell said: “He dropped his hind legs in the water last time at Cheltenham but we'd be hoping he can jump a bit better.” trainer of Hang In ThereHe's not big and giving that weight away to decent horses is always a tough ask for him He seems to have been up to that challenge over the years Paul Nicholls, trainer of Il RidotoHe obviously likes the track jockey] gets on well with him and he's a Paddy Power Gold Cup winner but he hasn't performed in the spring for the last couple of years and ran awfully in this race last year so we're going into it in the dark a little bit trainer of Blow Your WadHe had his first run back from a carpal bone injury at Kempton in February He's run around Cheltenham before and seems in good nick trainer of Harper's Brook and RiskinthegroundWe're trying something a bit different with Harper's Brook We're just slowing the tempo down because he's finding two miles quick enough while the ground is decent Riskintheground is turned out again quickly I had this race in mind for him before Ayr He's travelled back from Scotland well and looks great.Reporting by Charlie Huggins Wathnan runner drops from Group 1 to 6f handicap - analysis and key trainer quotes for £50,000 contest    'Dropping back to six furlongs really suited her' - red-hot Abernant favourite bids to follow up impressive Listed success    Promising colts have questions to answer if they want to join Dancing Brave, Haafhd and Masar on the Craven roll of honour     Get set for the latest twists in the Willie Mullins-Dan Skelton title battle at Cheltenham's valuable April meeting    Looking for free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more Barrel racer Rainey Skelton was just 17 years old when she won her first Women’s Rodeo World Champion title in 2021 “I have not gotten to go the last two years but a suspensory issue for her mare has held up her trips to the WRWC the last two years goes back to a mare that Skelton’s grandma owned Jewel has just been phenomenal from the get-go and she’s a very special horse to me and my family,” she said Skelton’s preparation for this WRWC includes outdoor runs for Jewel and a stronger mental game The action starts at Cowtown Coliseum on May 12 exclusively on The Cowboy Channel All content © copyright The Cowboy Channel Do Not Sell My Personal Information Dan Skelton will need every penny he can get to repel Willie Mullins in the British jumps trainers' title race and the near £26,000 first prize provides a decent opportunity to extend his lead at the top The omens are positive for Skelton as he has a strong record in this race. He has won four of the past seven runnings (unrepresented in 2023) and Riskintheground looks the ideal type for it The eight-year-old is a good-ground horse and we are entering his time of year He recorded a hat-trick last summer and caught the eye from an exaggerated hold-up ride when keeping on into fifth in a similar race at Newbury a few weeks ago You suspect this may have been his long-term aim Conversely, the major target for Vintage Fizz was likely to have been last week's Topham given his form over the National fences The Grand Sefton runner-up is back from five months off and will find this company more realistic than what he would have faced at Aintree These two may be the pair to focus on at the early prices Walk On Quest looks an opposable favourite for Lucinda Russell after his purple patch came to an end on Midlands National day at Uttoxeter Softer conditions than were advertised cannot be to blame considering his earlier form on slow ground, although perhaps the run came too soon after his defeat of Leader In The Park a fortnight earlier at Kelso He has a 27-day turnaround to overcome this time The tricky-to-predict Crebilly failed to justify pre-Cheltenham Festival hype once more with a disappointing Ultima effort and a resurgence is required.Analysis by Robbie Wilders The Scottish Grand National meeting is set to begin on good to soft ground Clerk of the course Graeme Anderson said: "We'll water through the night to maintain it We've been putting on 8mm recently and we must be close to 100mm put down over the last week or so so we'll water again after racing." Olly Murphy, trainer of Sure TouchHe's back down to his last winning mark and will appreciate some nicer ground Hopefully he's got a nice each-way chance in what looks a competitive handicap Joel Parkinson, joint-trainer of Prairie WolfHe's been a little bit in and out of form and we've given him some more time between races It's his last run of the season and he ran really well in this a year ago trainer of Vintage FizzHe's had a winter holiday and his last run before his break in the Grand Sefton was excellent Our initial hope had been to run in the Topham Chase but we narrowly missed out This is a very good plan B and hopefully he can progress on his return trainer of RiskinthegroundThe flat track will really suit and he ran nice enough last time He's coming into a bit of form and should run nicely Nick Alexander, trainer of Ned TannerI was delighted with his win over the course and distance last month and this has been the plan since Fingers crossed he can run well there again.Reporting by Matt Rennie Hot Newbury novice could hold Classic clues We're thinking about Guineas trials just now, with the Greenham coming up on Saturday and the Craven next week, but the 1m2f novice race at Newbury (3.37) could have Derby implications The last two winners have both ended up in the Epsom Classic and Godolphin's Military Order was just a 9-2 shot This year's race looks hot, featuring three runners who scored on their only starts as juveniles as well as two newcomers for John and Thady Gosden. Gethin is a likeable sort from the Owen Burrows yard which is having its first turf runner of the year in Britain as the going was heavy when he won at Nottingham in October The seven-year-old joined Owen in January from a yard that's been having a quiet season and he scored narrowly over hurdles on his second run for new connections He now switches to fences and is surely still ahead of his rating although he doesn't want to be in front too early judging by the way he pricked his ears last time Handicap debutant represents breakthrough yard El Rayo should be worth a look as he makes his handicap debut over hurdles at Huntingdon (5.05) a week after being withdrawn because of drying ground at Ludlow A future chaser on looks, he represents the low-profile yard of Billy Aprahamian, who is having a breakthrough season, with five winners from 18 runners last month as well as a 10-1 handicap success at Ffos Las the other day. Published on 10 April 2025inRaceday Intel The horses all ran really well and it was great to get a treble on the board We’ve got a good few runners lined up for Cheltenham this week so we’ll keep going and chipping away at the Trainers’ Championship She got off the mark and lost her maiden tag at her first attempt I think there’s a bit more improvement in her so hopefully she’ll go on and have a summer campaign but hasn’t run a bad race and has kept progressing I think the track really suited him and he won nicely Everything has just started to come together with him in the spring I’m delighted for his owner Joe Tierney who is a good supporter of ours He seems to have come out of the Ayr race pretty well and is entered in a valuable race on Wednesday at Cheltenham He got an easy time of things up front and the race fell apart in behind It was good for him to go and get another win This was a bit more positive from him and a step back in the right direction He just missed four out and I was under pressure from there which is a bit further out than I was hoping so he might just have needed that a fraction We might look and see if there’s a race at Sandown for him I travelled into the race quite nicely on him and going down to three out I thought I was going to win From there he gave up the ghost fairly quickly though I get the feeling that he could have got a lot closer to them but he needs everything to go his way and I wouldn’t say he puts it all in sometimes and hopefully we can get the best out of him It was frustrating that both Sail Away and Snipe got brought down in the Scottish National Young Harry Atkins actually had quite a nasty fall and was concussed so he will have to stand down from riding for seven days For Willie [Mullins] then to go and be first and second was more of a kicking than we needed We’ve got plenty to look forward to this week and we’ll keep chipping away at the Trainers’ Championship The horses are running well and we’ll continue to give it our all The sad point of the weekend was losing Valgrand after his fall in the Scottish Champion Hurdle and unfortunately from time to time you do lose horses He just took a chance at the hurdle and unfortunately had quite a heavy fall and it ended up that we couldn’t save him I feel awfully sorry for his owners and young Dom who looks after him she adored Valgrand and did everything with him but we feel most for Stacy who was the closest to him she spent every day with him and it’s very difficult for her We’ve had this race in mind for him for quite some time and he’s come down to a realistic handicap mark again Hopefully the ground stays on the good side for him as he does like decent going but there are a few horses that like this type of ground He’s won at the track before and this looks a good opportunity for him RISKINTHEGROUND & HARPER’S BROOK – 2:40pm Cheltenham Riskintheground seems in good form after his comfortable win at Ayr last week This is a bit of a deeper race and we are a few pounds out of the handicap but there’s some valuable prize money on offer and we’re rolling the dice again Harper’s Brook is our second bite of the cherry in this one He’s fresh and well and we’re stepping back up to two-and-a-half miles here He’s a bit of a tricky customer but Kielan [Woods] gets on with him great and he’s got more than enough ability to pick up some prize money which is a question mark for a few of them He seems to just keep on galloping at one speed I don’t think he’s badly handicapped but at the same time he’s not that well-in I think he’s an improving horse at this trip in particular He hasn’t run for quite some time – we were hoping to get in a race at Aintree but unfortunately he was balloted out so he comes here instead He’s fresh and well and I think he’s still on an upward curve He went over fences last time but didn’t really enjoy that so he’s back over hurdles here He’s been a bit in and out really this season but he could have a little chance if he puts his best foot forward We haven’t had a bad couple of days over Easter with winners at Plumpton picking up some valuable prize money in the process Everyone on the team is really pulling together now heading into the final few days of the season and the finale at Sandown on Saturday The horses are in great form and that’s testament to the whole team that have kept them going so well We know what we’re up against and looking at the entries it’s going to be very difficult come Saturday to hold off Willie [Mullins] but we’ll do our utmost to try and stay in front We certainly won’t go down without a fight We’re just proud of everyone for their continued work and effort and we have to thank our owners for their continued support too The horses have been performing and we’re looking forward to the final few days Shakeyatailfeather was a game winner for us at Plumpton The @DSkeltonRacing team hit back Shakeyatailfeather carries a 7lb penalty to a hard-fought success, seeing off Siam Park under @harryskelton89 at @plumptonraces… pic.twitter.com/fBKDFGjjlq — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 20, 2025 It was good to see Mostly Sunny win at Plumpton Going two and a half miles with cheekpieces on suited him and he came back to form nicely It was good to get him back to winning ways and add some valuable prize money to the pot There's an extra £23,764.50 for the @DSkeltonRacing team Mostly Sunny (14/1) travels nicely into the race, taking it up approaching the final flight before striding on confidently for victory under @harryskelton89… pic.twitter.com/7LPhSfroV8 — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 21, 2025 Doyouknowwhatimean got the job done in tough fashion at Chepstow under a good ride from Charlie Todd It was also nice to see Deep Purple back in the winners’ enclosure there too after returning from his winter break He’ll go on now and have a summer campaign The horses are ready and we’ll be going far and wide in search of winners this week I’ll be up at Perth for a couple of days and we’ll have runners at Bangor and Taunton as well as at Warwick and Ludlow before heading to Sandown on Saturday who goes in the 3:59pm Handicap Hurdle at Perth on Thursday He was a nice winner last time at Uttoxeter and I think there’s a bit more to come from him Charlie Appleby and John and Thady Gosden are all represented among the opposition Robert Havlin and Christophe Soumillon on the list of jockeys to ride the talented four-year-old A jumps card from Southwell and all-weather meeting from Kempton complete the day's proceedings who won the Solario Stakes for the Gosdens ensure this is likely to be a deep line-up The day's other meetings are at Beverley who disappointed in the Futurity Trophy last season Ripon stages its first meeting of the year while there is evening action from Ffos Las and Clonmel which is an all-hurdle and a bumper card because of the dry weather which means it is also All-Weather Championships finals day at Newcastle with the champions of the respective divisions on the artificial surface this winter crowned It is a quieter Saturday than usual on the track, but Musselburgh takes centre stage with its big Flat card of the year, headlined by the £100,000 Virgin Bet Queen's Cup (3.35) The meeting was dramatically cancelled on raceday morning last year, but 2023 hero Wise Eagle could bid to win the lucrative staying handicap again It also features the Scottish Sprint Cup Handicap (3.00) In Ireland, Fairyhouse's three-day Irish Grand National meeting kicks off with a 2m Listed handicap hurdle (5.05) the highlight while Britain's best jumps action comes from Haydock with two Challenger Series finals the Unibet Middle Distance Veterans' Series final too Newton Abbot and Carlisle also stage jumps fixtures while there are Flat cards at Cork and Wolverhampton The second day of the Irish Grand National meeting at Fairyhouse kicks into gear with two Grade 1s, including the WillowWarm Gold Cup (2.22) Cork's attention turns to the jumps for the second day of its Easter festival and its feature 3m chase has been renamed in honour of the late Michael O'Sullivan there is Listed action on the Flat at Bath and a jumps meeting at Market Rasen Willie Mullins trails Dan Skelton by less than £1,500 in the trainers' title - what are the key prizes still to play for?  'If I rode the horse now, he would win by five lengths - I was so bad I offered to pay back my riding fee'  A double-green Royal Ascot contender emerges at the Curragh - plus a trainer worth keeping on side this spring  Looking for free bets? 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Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more Published on 14 April 2025inWhat's on this week When the stories come to be told of the 2024-25 jump trainers’ title race there is unlikely to be much time spent on the Rees Jones 1619 Open Hunters’ Chase However, on a day when his nose was bloodied again by Willie Mullins landing a big-race double at Perth, Dan Skelton continued to sucker punch in the lower-grade races, with Jeffery’s Cross doing his bit – and earning £3,387.78 in prize-money in the process In keeping with Skelton’s runners in the dying days of the season Jeffery’s Cross seemed to grow for the occasion surpassing his previous form to stretch clear in the closing stages to win by four lengths under jockey Sean O’Connor O’Connor will have a further opportunity to add to Skelton’s prize-money tally on Thursday when he rides Sail Away who was unfortunate to be unseated at the first in the Scottish Grand National for the trainer in the 3m handicap chase at Bangor Longsdon and O'Brien move closer to half-century Paul O’Brien rode his 49th winner for trainer Charlie Longsdon when partnering Almazhar Garde to victory in the 3m handicap chase Among those victories for the duo were Castafiore in the 2019 Grade 2 Altcar Novices' Chase at Haydock while Almazhar Garde has contributed two wins to O’Brien’s best-ever tally of 52 winners this season Longsdon said: "Almazhar Garde has been a fantastic horse for us and Paul's always got on really well with him He'll run through the summer and hopefully he can pick up another win "Paul's been with the yard for a long time and has always been a massive team player He's got a great job with Harry Derham now but he continues to be a huge help to us and he's just a great guy." Sign up to receive On The Nose Published on 23 April 2025inReports It’s a big week for everyone and we’ve got a strong team heading up to Aintree where we’ll be hoping to get some winners on the board and I’ll be trying to get over the line in the David Power Cup ⭐ STARSPORTS.BET RACING MARKETS ⭐ I ride Threeunderthrufive in the National and he’s a great spare to pick up He’s been placed over marathon trips before including when fourth in the Scottish National two years ago and has been running very consistently this season I had a sit on him last week and he feels in good shape and hopefully he can give me a good ride round The atmosphere is always electric at Aintree It’s great to be involved in the National and a privilege to be riding in the race It’s been an unbelievably tough time for the clerk of the course with this dry weather Trying to get the ground right is not an easy thing to do and I take my hat off to the team there They’ll water well and it will be like a carpet They haven’t raced on it since December and I imagine the ground will be on the slow side of good so I doubt anyone will be moaning about that We’ve got a great lead going into the last two days of the David Power Cup Hopefully now we can hold on until the end and it will be a great relief to get over the line It’s been an unbelievable opportunity for National Hunt jockeys this season to pick up some fantastic prizemoney We’ve had a great run of things in the ITV races and we’re not far away now he missed Cheltenham so he comes into Aintree nice and fresh He ran at this meeting last year but it was off the back of a tough race at Cheltenham so hopefully the way things have worked out this year he comes here with a live chance but the trip was probably a bit sharp for him on the ground He’s a really tough horse who always gives his all and I’m sure he’ll do the same again He came out of the Arkle really well and he’s going to the Grade 1 two-mile novices’ chase on Saturday We might just put a pair of cheekpieces on him He’ll run in the three-mile handicap hurdle on Saturday a race we’ve had in mind for quite some time now He’s a progressive horse and three miles is what he wants so he could still have a few pounds left in his mark His only start for us so far came at Wetherby where he won and he might just be able to run a nice race there He’s definitely a horse that people should keep in their minds for next season He’s probably going to run in the two-mile G1 novice hurdle on Friday He’s actually had a wind-op since his last run We missed Cheltenham and he comes here fresh He’s been a fantastic horse for us since he was a three-year-old When he was on song he was a great thrill to ride – he was like a little motorbike he could get in and out of any gap you wanted – and he loved the hustle and bustle of those big races he’s got a heart condition that means his racing career has had to come to an end It’s awfully sad but he’s given us some fantastic days in the sun and we’ll be forever grateful to him for that He’s going to have a happy home now in his retirement as Amber We’ve run about four or so four-year-olds already this spring which we don’t normally do but they’ve been quite forward and they’ve run well Double Measure got the job done really nicely at Uttoxeter He’s a horse that we’ve always liked so it was very encouraging to see him do that About us Contact us Advertise with us Company information Careers Privacy statement Terms of service Commenting policy Change cookies settings Drummer and bandleader Matt Skelton has put together a new programme for quintet in celebration of the work of drumming legend Shelly Manne and of the five volumes of ‘At the Blackhawk’ records that are – Matt says “the centrepiece of inspiration to my own group“ Their next performance will be on Saturday 26 April at the Bear Club Matt tells the story of how this music left its mark on him… UK Jazz News: What first drew you to Shelly Manne?  Matt Skelton: I discovered jazz through big band music having seen the Glenn Miller Story when I was around 10 or 11.  This experience led me towards Basie Ellington and so on where I heard the great soloists and rhythm section players who have gone on to be such an inspiration to later generations of jazz instrumentalists and composers I first heard Shelly Manne on a Woody Herman compilation LP when I was about 12 or 13 The Herman 2nd Herd band of the late 40s was a powerhouse of great writers and also soloists and section players (an art in itself): Shorty Rogers   These are amazing recordings that have lost nothing with age in terms of music played with daring Shelly was very much a crucial ingredient of this during his time with the band UKJN: And were there decisive Shelly Manne moments in you own professional life MS: It was only later when I met Don Rendell during the Guildhall Summer School of 1987 and he recommended the first big band recordings of Dizzy Gillespie’s own big band from ‘46 that I realized where this had come from and that Herman’s band was hugely influenced by these recordings.  can you point us in the direction of a couple of tracks and what you admire particularly?   MS: His range of discography is extraordinary orchestral dates and an in-house drummer for Contemporary Records From the original Pink Panther theme to “Tomorrow is the Question” with Ornette Coleman perfectly judged interplay and always swinging and supportive with whom Shelly collaborated on that classic My Fair Lady record said of him: “He kept time for everyone and never had a bad word to say” I love that: A genuine polymath whose ways of unselfish collaboration have given a completely unique sound and texture to the world of jazz the five volumes of At the Blackhawk records that are the centrepiece of inspiration to my own group.  and when do you next appear together?  MS: This is a newly reformed and revived project We’ve recently played Dorking Watermill and Market Harborough Jazz Our next date is the Bear Club in Luton on 26 April currently doing the rounds of emails and calls to see who else might like to have us UKJN: And it also sounds like fun…  It’s a boundless source of joy to share this music with the people in the band and the audiences we meet.  UKJN: Is there an intention to do an album?   MS: I’m not intending to record for the time being We’re kinda an ‘in the moment’ band Come hear us. Perhaps we may record an album if we start playing original arrangements inspired by the transcriptions from the record that frame Matt Skelton’s instagram profile has updates Matt Skelton’s Blackhawk Quintet will be playing at the Bear Club Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a0815cf1dca67e4c54f676967a6c8888" );document.getElementById("c08a1a06c7").setAttribute( "id" and website in this browser for the next time I comment Please check your inbox (and also your spam or junk folder We kindly request to oblige by fair use rules when quoting or sharing our content All original content is copyrighted unless credited otherwise but does take on work as a paid publicist and/or sell advertising packages Where a piece published after 26th October 2012 appears which is linked to this activity the content will be clearly sign-posted with the PP symbol Receive our weekly email newsletter with Jazz updates from London and beyond If you’ve been on our list all along Cheltenham provided the latest battleground for the electric trainers' title tussle between Dan Skelton and Willie Mullins with Skelton's Riskintheground getting the better of Mullins' O'Moore Park in the £70,000 Silver Trophy – a potentially crucial £25,000 swing in favour of the championship leader Skelton's lead was a perilous £10,030 at the start of Wednesday but results at Cheltenham mean a bit of extra breathing room has been carved out – particularly compared to the slender £1,431 margin at the end of Ayr's Scottish Grand National last Saturday Day two of Cheltenham's April meeting on Thursday will be another important afternoon before the race rolls on to Plumpton Perth and towards the finale at Sandown on April 26 We take a closer look at the staggering spring comeback by Mullins to put him on Skelton's coattails and the tapes are about to drop for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle Willie Mullins is 56th in the race to defend the British trainers' championship a title he won for the first time last season Mullins had just eight winners in Britain for the season and no big-race victories Skelton had notched 149 winners including Grade 1s with L'Eau Du Sud and The New Lion On the eve of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival the gap between Mullins and Skelton was a massive £2,265,421 The title leader had £2,462,315 prize-money to his name compared to Mullins' measly £196,894 The reigning champion was behind Alastair Ralph Mark Walford and Tom Symonds in the standings and in front of Keiran Burke and Gary Hanmer The Cheltenham Festival was again dominated by Mullins as he equalled his own record of ten victories Lossiemouth and Fact To File were among his stars who dazzled and who helped put a big dent in the trainers' title gap it could have been more significant if not for the high-profile defeats for Majborough The difference was £1,214,778 by the end of Cheltenham where Skelton also enjoyed big-race glory with The New Lion in the Turners Novices' Hurdle Aintree would prove to be the catalyst in changing the title race's complexion and the wheels were set in motion across the meeting's first two days Mullins enjoyed a staggering opening day when he swept up the four Grade 1 contests with Impaire Et Passe (Manifesto Novices' Chase) Murcia (Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle) Gaelic Warrior (Aintree Bowl) and Lossiemouth (Aintree Hurdle) His red-hot form rolled over to ladies' day with a double after Salvator Mundi struck in the Top Novices' Hurdle and Gentleman De Mee in the Topham Chase But the gap was still £1,011,509 on the eve of the Grand National where Mullins would require a miraculous result This was the day the title race's pendulum drastically swung as Mullins did the near unthinkable when Nick Rockett led home a 1-2-3-5-7 for him in the Grand National Nick Rockett's famous win under the trainer's son meant Mullins scooped a whopping £860,000 prize-money from the big race alone Green Splendour's win in the closing bumper capped a day to remember and the gap was smashed into just £122,026 Mullins announced at the National's post-race press conference that the quest to defend his championship was on A treble on the opening day of the Scottish Grand National meeting had slightly eased the pressure at the top for Skelton with £168,303 between him and Mullins before Ayr's biggest day of the year Mullins delivered another hammer blow when Captain Cody led home stablemate Klarc Kent in the Scottish National Even Olympic Man picked up prize-money in seventh and Mullins scooped £156,260 from the feature Skelton's two Scottish National runners the gap was all but gone with just £1,431 between them That was increased slightly to £10,030 before Cheltenham's April meeting began Harry Cobden's maverick flair is a glorious throwback to the past - and it's a crime he doesn't have more top-class rides  Irish Grand National field gets huge shake-up as 14 of the top 20 in the weights come out at confirmations stage  'It's massive to be part of' - Captain Cody owner delighted to be involved in Willie Mullins' trainers' title push  Looking for free bets? 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Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more Published on 16 April 2025inBritain BBC Morning Live presenters Gethin Jones and Helen Skelton to roller-skate day and night for Comic Relief Joined by famous faces and Morning Live colleagues to spur them on along the way this ambitious 24-hour challenge will roll on into Red Nose Day BBC One’s Morning Live presenters Gethin Jones and Helen Skelton are lacing up their retro roller boots and taking on an epic challenge on wheels to raise money for Red Nose Day starting on the morning of Thursday 20 March will see the presenters take on a 24-hour retro and relentless roller-skating endurance test to encourage people to donate to raise vital funds for Comic Relief-funded partners in the UK and around the world As Comic Relief celebrates its 40th birthday in 2025 90s and noughties-themed costumes and soundtracks will take the audience on a journey of fun and nostalgia through the decades Gethin and Helen will roller-skate their way through the day and night stamina and determination to their physical and mental limits whilst trying to stay awake whilst on skates Vital funds raised will support Comic Relief-funded partners which help children to be happier communities prouder and millions of lives fairer the duo will be joined by a cast of stars – from past Comic Relief challengers to Morning Live co-presenters to other surprise guests - all helping them to stay on their skates (for 24 straight hours!) as they celebrate fashions The challenge will begin during BBC Morning Live on the morning of Thursday 20 March and continue throughout the day and night finishing during Friday’s Morning Live on Friday 21 March on Red Nose Day Comic Relief has raised over £1.6 billion thanks to the huge generosity and kindness of the public and the Charity’s partners Helen and Geth know the incredible impact of the UK public’s generosity and the lives that have been changed over the years through Comic Relief-funded partners Gethin says: “I've never roller-skated before so I’m nervous about my ability to stand up on skates But I’ll give it all I’ve got and do everything I can to train and get ready because I’m determined to raise as much money as possible." “I love Red Nose Day and Comic Relief and everything which the money raised does for people going through the toughest times of their lives in the UK and around the world we talk and hear about how much people are struggling right now It’s never felt more important to throw everything into trying to help and raise as much as we can for those who need it most Helen says: “I am really excited to get stuck into our roller-skating challenge it sums up what Comic Relief is all about; raising money for vital work that helps families and communities all over the UK and the world whilst hopefully putting a smile on people’s faces.” we are completely blown away by the extraordinary lengths to which our celebrity supporters and partners will go to raise money to help others and this year is no exception We are enormously grateful to Gethin and Helen and the Morning Live team for taking on this incredible 24-hour challenge for Red Nose Day at a time when donations have never felt more needed We’re all rooting for you Gethin and Helen and we are here for you every roller-skating step of the way!" Gethin and Helen are taking on this challenge to raise money for Comic Relief to support incredible projects which help children to be happier Viewers can follow Gethin and Helen’s Wheely Big Challenge across the full 24 hours on BBC iPlayer encouraging Gethin and Helen to keep roller-skating throughout the night by donating to Comic Relief To keep up with Gethin and Helen as they gear up for the challenge, keep an eye on comicrelief.com/skate and stay up to date with all the latest news. ©&™ Aardman Animations Ltd 2024. © Wallace & Gromit Ltd 2024. © Charlie Mackesy, 2021. © Disney. © Disney/Pixar. © 2025 THOIP. © Peter Blake. © Rachel Joy. © Rankin. Comic Relief is the operating name of Charity Projects, a registered charity in England and Wales (326568) and Scotland (SC039730), which is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (01806414). Registered address: 6th Floor, The White Chapel Building, 10 Whitechapel High Street, London, E1 8QS. Oh no! It looks like JavaScript is not enabled in your browser. Star Sports (licence number 009177) is licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission. It’s been a fantastic week so far and we’re glad to have chalked up one winner, writes HARRY SKELTON. Gold Cup Day always promises some fantastic racing and I know everyone is looking forward to seeing whether Galopin Des Champs can do the three-timer in the big race. We’ve got three runners to round off the week, so we’re hoping for the best. I’ll go for Lulamba in this, I think he’s a class act. From what we saw at Ascot, coupled with how well Nicky’s [Henderson] have been running this week, there looks to be plenty more to come for him. We’re running VALGRAND and I think he’s got every chance so long as we get nice ground. It seems to be perfect jumping ground at the moment and he’s in good form. The handicapper has given him a sensible chance and he’s been training well, so I’d give him a competitive each-way chance. I think it’s between Willie Mullins’ Dinoblue and Allegorie De Vassy. The former has to give the latter a few pounds and I think at this trip it might just go to Allegorie De Vassy. Dinoblue is the highest rated but there’s not much between the two, I just think with the weight that she’s giving away points me towards the other. I think Limerick Lace will run a good race, too. I think Jasmin De Vaux is interesting here stepping up to three miles. His jumping needs to improve but this step up should suit and he’s a very classy horse as he showed when seen winning the Champion Bumper last year. At the end of the day, it’s Paul Townend and Willie Mullins! Galopin Des Champs is a class above these and has looked incredible this season. He’s a staying powerhouse, and Fact To File did his form no harm by winning the Ryanair so impressively. I think he’ll win his third Gold Cup and do so impressively. I think Corbetts Cross will run into a place, too, he might like the ground a little softer though. This is a competitive race and I’d give Fairly Famous a chance. He’s an improving point-to-pointer and we’ll be giving the family some support for my sister-in-law Gina Andrews. Good luck to them! We run two here. NURSE SUSAN is a classy mare on her day but has been off for quite some time. We’ve done as much work as we can with her at home and I think she’ll come on for it. She looks nicely handicapped so whether she wins this or not we’ll see, but she definitely has a chance of being in the mix. DOYEN QUEST hasn’t been running that well lately on softer ground than he likes, but we fit cheekpieces here for the first time which should sharpen him up. He’ll want a bit better ground in the spring and should be well handicapped when that time comes. While Dan Skelton was extending his title lead with a much-needed double, Heidi Palin boosted her own championship claims when winning the feature 3m1f handicap hurdle on Doyen Quest is based with Alcester-based Skelton and drew level on seven winners with Olive Nicholls in the amateur lady jump jockeys’ championship that runs until May 30 with upcoming big hunter chase meetings taking place at Cheltenham and Stratford sure to prove vital The rider was partnering Doyen Quest for the first time and produced the seven-year-old with a well-timed run to score by five and a half lengths in a race run in memory of Coventry City’s FA Cup-winning manager John Sillett Palin said: “I sat quietly on him and the good gallop played to his strengths He had plenty left when entering the straight and he was able to pick them off “It’s great to get a winner and get some prize-money for Dan’s push for the championship There’s been a very positive mood in the yard in the last few weeks and we’ve been trying to back Dan as much as we can “I’ve had a really good season and hopefully I can ride a few more winners in the next month to give myself the best chance in the amateur ladies’ championship I’m getting lots of opportunities from Dan and am definitely in the right place for support and help.” Skelton’s first winner was the Tristan Durrell-ridden Gwennie May Jem who gained a first success by three and a quarter lengths in the 2m handicap chase Brendan Powell rode a fourth consecutive winner when cajoling Moonlight Artist to a neck success in the 3m novice handicap chase Powell brought up the half-century for the season with a double at Taunton on Wednesday evening and kickstarted his winning run at Hereford on Tuesday evening The Joe Tizzard-trained Moonlight Artist gained a first success over fences at the fifth attempt for the Cheltenham & South West Racing Club made up of members of the Jockey Club-owned Cheltenham Powell said: “He’s gone off favourite or a short price a few times and I’ve always wondered why This should do his confidence the world of good and hopefully there is another race in him.” Prince Imperial sealed a hat-trick on his first start in almost six months in the 2m3f handicap hurdle won three of his first four outings for Olly Murphy in maiden and novice hurdles last year and scored by a length on his return to handicap company Murphy said: “He won well and he's just improved and improved He stays very well and he's got that bit of confidence back again He'll improve again for a step up in trip and might win a nice staying race during the summer on a sound surface.” 'Plumpton? Never heard of it' - behind the scenes with the Skelton and Mullins camps as title fever took hold  Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton make declarations for trainers' title decider at Sandown on Saturday  Sign up to receive On The Nose Published on 24 April 2025inReports