Our experts on the jumps trainers' title race with Willie Mullins v Dan Skelton set to go down to the wire at Sandown on Saturday.
Trainers' Title Latest
Dan Skelton £3,285,029 (3/1 Paddy Power)
Willie Mullins £3,232,252 (2/9 Paddy Power)
*Prices correct at 1445BST on 22/04/2025
Wednesday: Perth, Ludlow, Taunton
Thursday: Perth, Warwick
Friday: Perth, Chepstow, Fontwell
Saturday: Sandown
Ben Linfoot: It's Mullins' to lose
You have to feel for Dan Skelton, who would undoubtedly see becoming champion trainer as a significant signpost in a training career that goes from strength to strength. He will be champion trainer one day, but at the moment it will probably happen in a season where Willie Mullins doesn’t win the Grand National and therefore doesn’t get into contention in the spring. It’s going to be close going into Sandown Saturday, you would think, but Mullins looks to have too much firepower to repel and I can see him outdoing Skelton by picking up significant prizemoney in the graded races and the bet365 Gold Cup itself, where he could easily land a 1-2-3 and with it a crucial £150,000. He’s a 2/9 chance with the bookies and I’m with them - it looks Willie’s to lose.
Dave Ord: Don't engrave the trophy just yet
Would you back Mullins at 2/9? I wouldn't. I get the argument looking at that star-studded entry for Sandown on Saturday but they are only entries and if Skelton can keep the foot to the floor until then and grow and grow that £52,000 lead it could get interesting. It's a numbers game they say, well on Wednesday and Thursday the reigning champion has seven runners in the UK. Skelton has 28. Mullins has no Friday entries. Skelton has 32. Clearly they're racing for prizes that are dwarfed by the Saturday pots but ten, 12, 14 winners across the three days, getting the lead up towards £100K and you're heading towards Mullins needing to win two or three of the big final-day showdowns including the bet365 Gold Cup. When you have 16 entries and the front three in the market, then of course it's on. But Skelton has Hoe Joly Smoke in there. A final day haymaker. It's going to go down to the wire.
Matt Brocklebank: Willie's world, we just live in it
I'd enjoy seeing a really tight finish on Saturday but just can't envisage that unfolding as Skelton doesn't have enough strength in the Graded races on the card, certainly not if Mullins is in a serious mood when it comes to the final declarations as his initial entries are really strong. And that's before the bet365 Gold Cup, in which the Irish trainer could be utterly dominant. In a recent debate over whether Paul Nicholls could regain the championship some day, I argued that Skelton might win the next six or eight titles, conveniently overlooking the man who won it last year and is now well on course to double up! Could Mullins potentially mop up the next five or six? It's not out of the question by any means, especially when you consider that this season he missed out on the Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and King George...
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