Dan Skelton (left) and Willie Mullins

Trainers' title final day: David Ord sets the scene

By David Ord

Horse Racing

Sat April 26, 2025 · 8M ago

David Ord sets the scene as the trainers' title race heads into the final afternoon at Sandown Park.

And so, we head into the final day of the National Hunt season, an afternoon that in the past ambled quietly, irrelevantly, along to the vast majority.

Yes, we had some thrilling Whitbreads, the race not the bitter, that was rarely thrilling, but in the big scheme of things they were a nice addition to the highlights reel the BBC, ITV or Channel 4 would play at the end of the programme - no more, no less.

But then Willie Mullins decided he’d quite like to be champion trainer on both sides of the Irish Sea and all of a sudden it had real purpose. Last year was historic as he followed in the footprints of Vincent O’Brien. It was also inevitable.

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In 2025 the betting says it is again, despite Dan Skelton having more momentum, runners and winners, in the closing week this time around.

He’s still there, fighting, but when it comes to the four big races that are going to shape the title on Saturday, light on firepower.

To borrow a phrase from friend and colleague Dan Barber, it feels like he’s turning up to the OK Corral with a water pistol.

But all is not lost. There might be a little help from friends along the way.

Nicky Henderson, filmed singing 'we are the champions' with Willie at a post-Cheltenham celebration, has jumped ship. He wants Jonbon to win the bet365 Celebration Chase for Dan. The great game is a fickle old beast.

On Timeform weight-adjusted ratings he will, sitting nine pounds clear of Energumene. If he fires, he wins, but second and third would do nicely for team Closutton.

And the former champion and returning Il Etait Temps are rated to do just that. But with little wiggle room given Edwardstone and Master Chewy are both lurking only a few pounds behind that pair.

It’s a similar story in the bet365 Oaksey Chase where Gaelic Warrior (180) tops the lot but Pic D’Orhy sits there on 178 to keep him honest with Gentleman De Mee and Appreciate It next in.

The champion has elected to rely on Kitzbuhel alone in the bet365 Select Hurdle and again he’s top-rated on 163p but only a pound clear of Salver and two of Lucky Place.

Big chances for Mullins, plenty of them, but no penalty kicks.

And onto the Bet365 Gold Cup. A numbers game. And he runs ten. Skelton has one and the presence of Grangeclare West at the top of the weights means Hoe Joly Smoke is 12 pounds out of the handicap.

They’ve won this glistening trophy from there before and it would be a spectacular haymaker to land but the Irish team have six of the seven top rated including High Class Hero 177p who leads the way.

But in among the pack is another progressive novice, Transmission, trained by Neil Mulholland and perched on 174p despite being ten pounds wrong himself.

Is he the one to throw a spanner in the works? Can some of the older gunslingers, Threeunderthrufive, Vicctorino or Monbeg Genius, come to the party as well?

Probably that's asking too much but when you’re Dan Skelton driving into Sandown Park on Saturday morning, they give you hope. And you always need that.

He can’t fight this final-day battle on his own. But if others can win a skirmish here and there in the chief supporting races, he might just hang in long enough to make it an entertaining afternoon.

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