Super Saturday showdown in Sandown
Trainers Dan Skelton and Willie Mullins are set for a final day showdown in Sandown Photo: ©INPHO/Tom Maher
Willie Mullins created history a year ago when becoming the first Irish-based trainer to lift the UK championship since the great Vincent O’Brien 70 years earlier and he is gunning to retain the title at a Super Saturday Showdown at Sandown.
Dan Skelton holds a lead of about £50,000 ahead after Thursday’s racing but Mullins is sending 21 horses to the English track for the final day of the season and with almost £700,000 up for grabs, it’s all still to play for.
Unlike last year, Mullins did not win either the Unibet Champion Hurdle or the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup this season but the successful defence of his title looked likely after he amazingly saddled five of the first seven horses home in the world’s richest Jump race – the £1-million Randox Grand National at Aintree on 5 April.
Mullins said today: “It’s tough for Dan because I think people were calling him the champion all year and he’s done everything right.
“We have come along late in the play but that is always what we do every year, we don’t start early as I find that is what works best for us.
“I wasn’t expecting five of the first seven in the Grand National – it was a bit of a surprise.
“One of the lorries that pulled out for Sandown this morning wouldn’t start so we had to get a new one at 5.30am! Fortunately, we found one quick enough.
“Dan is out in front and has the points on the board. You can think about the points you hope to get but as you see in the football Premiership every year having them on the board is worth anything. Dan has some nice chances over the next few days and it will come down to Sandown on Saturday.
“One of us will come away disappointed and one will come away with the cookie jar as I call it – we have kept all our sweets in the British trainers’ championship cup this year and anybody that came in was offered one. There might be one or two left in the bottom on Saturday.
“I think the title is still up for grabs – it’s never that simple.
“We had a great day last year on Jump Finale – Sandown really looked after us very well and we were totally amazed with the amount of support we got. I think people were delighted to see the good horses. It wasn’t the Irish v the British it was good horses taking each other on. It was a great day with a fantastic atmosphere and it has been fantastic all year. We are looking forward to it once again.”
