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Willie Mullins crowned champion trainer: David Ord reaction

By David Ord

Horse Racing

Fri October 10, 2025 · 3M ago

Our man at Sandown reflects on an afternoon which ended with Willie Mullins retaining the trainers' title.

You feel a little like the BBC reporter Brian Hanrahan who famously “counted them all out and counted them all back” as the Harrier Jump Jets hopped off and returned to the Hermes Aircraft Carrier in the Falklands War.

But we’re counting horses.

The bet365 Oaksey Chase is the first skirmish. Patrick Mullins says this is a must-win for the hounds. The hares have Boombawn, jumping for fun under Harry Skelton and moved directly in front of Gaelic Warrior so the favourite can have a good look at how slick he is.

Maybe he was impressed. But not unduly. The Rich and Susannah Ricci silks are easy to spot jumping the second last, clear at the last. And home and hosed.

Now count. Ga Law is in there for Jamie Snowden but Appreciate It, ridden cold, is running on to take second. One-two for Mullins then.

Ga Law third. Boombawn fourth.

But hang on. Gentleman De Mee is rallying, the Skelton horse tiring. A one-two-four for Mullins.

But hang on. They’re paying to sixth. Cheveley Park colours, the trailblazing Classic Getaway. One, two, four, six for Mullins.

Gaelic Warrior roars to victory at Sandown

Now what’s the gap?

"You’re in front Willie", he’s told as he gingerly makes his way to the winners’ enclosure.

“No you’re not, you’re £18,000 behind”, someone else shouts.

“Tell me after the last”, his response with a smile.

It’s a good job he wasn’t listening properly. It’s a £2,000 deficit.

And now he leads. Kitzbuhel, the lone Closutton dart in the bet365 Select Hurdle doesn’t win. But he doesn’t finish last either. Caught in a pocket at the wrong time, he rallies bravely up the hill to finish third behind Blueking D’Oroux and Salver.

The winner is trained by Paul Nicholls. He’s a man who can put the fight into a title battle. But’s he’s not in this one. And Skelton barely is. His two runners, Take No Chances and Gwennie May Boy, finish fifth and sixth.

Money is in the pot, but Mullins has more. He leads by £2,700. The first time he’s been in front since this very day last year.

And he’s staying there.

The bet365 Celebration Chase is expected to be just that for Jonbon, crowned horse of the year only two hours earlier.

But the Mullins juggernaut is rolling. And when it’s rolling anything is possible.

The next magic trick is to bring Il Etait Temps back from 359 days off the track to produce what must be a career-best performance to hand out a five-and-a-half length beating to the home star on his favourite patch of turf.

Energumene’s 11-year-old legs carry him up the hill in third.

£2,700 becomes over £115,000.

Close but no cigar.

Try telling that to the racegoer who has been in the same spot by the winners’ enclosure all afternoon.

“Team in green” was the solo chant after Gaelic Warrior. Now it’s “there’s only one Willie Mullins” an empty pint pot raised to the sky.

Maybe Patrick Mullins will strike that pose himself in the hours to come, but for now he’s dashing out before Il Etait Temps returns to saddle up one of the ten runners for the team in the bet365 Gold Cup.

Harry Skelton walks back with his own saddle taken from the back of Unexpected Party slung over his arm. He’s looking across to where the winner stands, kicking a bucket in frustration as another photograph is taken. Il Etait Temps not Harry Skelton.

Il Etait Temps winning the Celebration Chase

The British team are in Hail Mary territory now. Mullins insists the job isn’t done.

“Did you back against Jonbon in the last race?” he asks the press huddle. “You never know. People will follow this down to the wire.”

It was a sublime ride from Danny Mullins.

“He’s a smart horse and my nephew was at it again. He never follows instructions. I said get around and get some place money and of course he goes and wins the race,” says Uncle Willie, smiling again.

And win it they have.

Not the bet365 Gold Cup.

That goes to Resplendent Grey under a wonderful ride from champion jockey Sean Bowen.

Any other day and we’re leading on him.

“There’s only one Sean Bowen” a different racegoer yells as he returns. The jockey is straight across to shake his hand.

He’s getting the public following his talents deserve. But everyone is now looking for Mullins, Dan Skelton included. He finds him standing by the runner-up spot, going through the final race team with Patrick.

“Well done,” Dan says, tapping his rival’s shoulder and offering an outstretched hand.

“See you same time, next year.”

“Won’t we see you next week?” Patrick asks.

“No. I surrender.” Dan walks away.

Willie can’t. He’s saddled the second, third, fourth and fifth in the feature race. He has a trophy to collect.

To be fair it’s one he’s only just handed back. It’s returning to his table at Closutton where he keeps chocolates in it.

He wonders aloud why he wasn’t given any to throw into the crowd to celebrate.

“They’d melt,” a journalist points out as the spring sunshine beats down warmer than at any other stage of the afternoon.

“Not if you start giving them out straight away.”

Willie Mullins is champion trainer again

But that’s not the quote Mullins wants to give today. His thoughts are with the vanquished and those who have gone before.

“I feel relief I think,” he says. “It’s been tough work the last few weeks for me and Dan. He was leading the whole way then we put together a fantastic few months and it became a possibility, so we went for it.

“It’s tough when you’re beaten in a photo finish, it’s tough for Dan, but we’re very happy to win it.”

Does it feel even better to retain it than win it?

“No, first time was probably sweeter,” he says. “It’s tougher. I know what it’s been like the last few weeks for me and Dan must have been hoping for the best too. It’s tough, the way things go, you win some, you lose some. It must be tough on Dan.

“I’m delighted for our team, the owners who once again have let us come to England with the horses. It shows they’re all sportsmen, good people to have. That’s who I like training for, good people, who are good for the sport. I’m lucky to have a lot of those people.”

Vincent O’Brien was only champion British jumps trainer twice. Can Willie eye history before he dashes to the airport?

“I’m very happy to have won it this year for the second time, thank you,” he replies. “I won’t be making any predictions about next year. We’ve another week to go in Ireland so I’m going home now to get ready for next week. I’ll get a bit practice in tonight too.

“To emulate Vincent is out of this world. As I said last year to be thinking you’ve done something similar to him…mind you he did it all again on the flat which is something I won’t be doing. I’m very happy doing what I’m doing and very happy to have the owners and staff that I have. The whole team, starting with Jackie my wife all the way down. I’m thrilled.”

More words about the mental pressures the title fight brings to bear on those in the heat of it, even someone as battle-hardened as the two-time champion.

“It’s tough. I didn’t look at paper for the last four days because there’s so much stuff going on. I couldn’t watch Racing TV, look at the Racing Post, or read any of the Irish racing pages,” he continues.

“I was reading more about the other sports and what was going on because there’s so much stuff going on and I try and keep away from it all otherwise you couldn’t get through it. I’m sure Dan was the same. I tried to ignore everything and hope the horses do it for you on the day.

“It’s a very public place, of course the press and the TV make it even more public, but it was great publicity for the sport rather than the two protagonists involved. The fact it went to the last day was great but it’s tough mentally.”

Mullins is a six-week champion. His charge to the line only really started at Cheltenham. Don’t expect any change to the approach next term either.

“That’s the way we run our campaigns,” he explains. “We go on a long holiday for the summer and take a little longer to get into gear but that’s just the way we do things and have done things.

“Our ground in Ireland is much firmer in the autumn than it is over here so we tend to get going a bit later.”

There’s still time for a winner in the last before team Mullins, husband, wife, son and other key cogs in the machine such as David Casey head to the airport and home.

The Bet365 after-party is in full flow behind us. Scott Mills the DJ, the sun is shining and few outside the Mullins party are in a rush anywhere.

The Lord Bagnall awaits them. Another famous night for the hotel and their highest-profile patrons.

Skelton threw everything at it again. But in six weeks Mullins ran him down. However you cut it up, whatever your thoughts on the sheer firepower at his disposal, the number he’s able to run in the big races, it’s a phenomenal achievement.

In the spring of 2024 and 2025, he’s made the remarkable seem ordinary. That’s probably his greatest magic trick of all.

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