Magical Mullins reigns supreme in Sandown
Willie Mullins retained the British Jump trainers’ championship at Sandown today Photo: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
The British Jump trainers’ championship once again went down to bet365 Jump Finale at Sandown Park today and following the sixth race, the bet365 Gold Cup, the prize money standings meant that Willie Mullins had an unassailable lead.
Mullins won his first title last season, become the first Closutton-based trainer to take the honours since Vincent O’Brien 70 years earlier and has now emulated O’Brien with a second championship.
The final prize money standings were £3,570,991 to Mullins and £3,371,484 to his closest pursuer Dan Skelton, meaning Mullins had an advantage of £199,507 at the finish.
Having saddled Il Etait Temps to victory in the Grade One bet365 Celebration -year-old Chase and Gaelic Warrior to win the Grade Two bet365 Oaksey Chase, the 68-year-old ended bet365 Jump Finale and the British Jump season perfectly when Jump Allen (5-1) landed the concluding bet365 Handicap Hurdle.
Willie Mullins 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 and went and also did it on the Flat which I won’t be doing!
“I am very happy doing what I’m doing and am very happy for the owners, staff and the home team, starting with Jackie my wife.
“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.”
