Willie Mullins​ won the jumps trainers’ title for the second year running after getting the better of a last-day showdown with​ Dan Skelton​ at Sandown.Skelton started the day over £68,000 in front of Mullins, but an easy win for the Oaksey Chase favourite, Gaelic Warrior, and then a surprise as Il Etait Temps topped the odds-on shot Jonbon in Celebration Chase enabled the defending champion to seize control.A victory in the last race for the Irish handler merely underlined his dominance but he had actually wrapped up the contest when saddling the second, third, fourth and fifth in the previous contest, the Bet365 Gold Cup.Mullins ended the season with a total of £3,570,990, £199,507 clear of Skelton, who had led the trainers’ championship on every single day of the campaign bar the last, on a final amount totalling £3,371,483.The master of Closutton became the first Irish-based handler since​ Vincent O’Brien​ in the 1950s to lift the UK jumps trophy on the closing afternoon of last season​.

Given the recruitment team Mullins has out sourcing horses for his yard and the high-profile owners he has with animals at his yard, we could be looking at a similar scenario next year and into the future with many other owners surely attracted to having horses with a man more dominant than any other National Hunt trainer in living memory,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 went and also did it on the Flat, which I won’t be doing!“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.

”Wetherby: 2.00 Clermont Ferrand 2.30 Coma Cluster (nb) 3.00 Hymnbook 3.30 Stratocracy 4.

00 Manila Thriller (nap) 4.30 Jojo Rabbit 5.00 Zappata 5.30 Miss Willows.Southwell: 3.

15 Drifts Away 3,45 Ziggy’s Missile 4,15 Overture 4,45 My Margie 5,15 Dixieland Blues 5.

45 Mythical Composer 6.15 Dutch Kingdom 6.45 Duke Of Oxford.4.45 Sandown BET365 HANDICAP HURDLE, 2m 3f 173yds result1 Jump Allen (H Cobden) 5-1 2 Mostly Sunny (Harry Skelton) 10-3 Fav 3 King Alexander (B Hayes) 18-1 10 ran4.

45 Sandown BET365 HANDICAP HURDLE, 2m 3f 173ydsAnd they’re off … Push The Button leads with a circuit to go with Peacenik close up … all are close up halfway up the back straight … Jump Allen has the lead at the last and kicks clear for another Willie Mullins victory in the last.Dan Skelton congratulates Willie Mullins on his trainers’ title win“See you next year, same time, same place” Dan Skelton says to Willie Mullins.Fabulous sportsmanship from @DSkeltonRacing pic.twitter.com/o8n9mxXNIh4.

45 Sandown BET365 HANDICAP HURDLE, 2m 3f 173yds betting4-1 Ike Sport4-1 Mostly Sunny9-2 Bunting13-2 Jump Allen9-1 Electric Mason11-1 Push The Button14-1 Dr Eggman16-1 Got Grey25-1 King Alexander28-1 PeacenikFull betting vis Oddschecker 4,45 Sandown BET365 HANDICAP HURDLE, 2m 3f 173yds preview1st £18,210, 2nd £8,372, 3rd £4,186, 4th 2,093, 5th £1,046, 6th £521,50The title race will, in all likelihood, be done and dusted by this point, but who knows, perhaps the extra 50p on the prize for finishing sixth in the final race of the season will make all the difference,The championship contenders have certainly covered the bases with six of the 10 runners – four for Mullins and two for Skelton – with Paul Townend aboard the top weight, Bunting, although seemed quite sweet on the chance of Dr Eggman when he talked through his runners in a media call on Thursday,It would be no great surprise, though, if Neil Mulholland’s Ike Sport, last year’s winner, frustrated the pair of them with a repeat success, as he is only marginally higher in the weights this time around and looked to be running into form last time out.

SELECTION: IKE SPORTBunting (Mullins): Paul Townend’s pick, Grade One contender as a juvenile and plenty of time to progress over hurdles.King Alexander (Mullins): Beaten 20 lengths in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham last time, place chance at best.Dr Eggman (Mullins): strong second at Cheltenham two weeks ago, interesting with super-sub Danny Mullins aboardJump Allen (Mullins): Novice with fair handicap form already, Harry Cobden’s booking catches the eye too.Mostly Sunny (Skelton): Good win at Plumpton five days ago, decent chance to follow up under 6lb penaltyGot Grey (Skelton): consistent handicapper and top conditional takes off 3lb, perhaps still a touch high in the weights though.Willie has won it!It's official! Willie Mullins has retained his title.

Congratulations to Willie and all his team,pic,twitter,com/UPUlrlqpPo4,10 Sandown BET365 GOLD CUP HANDICAP CHASE result1 Resplendent Grey (S Bowen) 9-2 2 Lombron (Rachael Blackmore) 10-1 3 High Class Hero (P Townend) 10-3 Fav 4 Spanish Harlem (Sam Twiston-Davies) 22-1 19 ran Non Runner: 174.

10 Sandown BET365 GOLD CUP HANDICAP CHASE, 3m 4f 146ydsAnd they’re off … Monbeg Genius has the lead in the early stages but there’s a long way to go … Dancing City has fallen and Minella Cocconer is out the back of the field … Olympic Man makes a mistake … Spanish Harlem is up near the lead … Hoe Joly Smoke is in midfield for Dan Skelton and Minella Cocconer still last … Resplendent Grey has made good ground and Lombron makes a bad mistake … Lombron takes up the lead at the last … Resplendent Grey comes late to win under the champion jockey Sean Bowen.A fitting winner, as the champion jockey @Sean_Bowen_ shows his class, guiding the game Resplendent Grey to a sweet success in the @bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase, for the @O_J_murphy91 yard 👏 pic.twitter.com/qulV6yza4KAs we head towards the Bet365 Gold Cup, a race in which Willie Mullins has ten runners and Dan Skelton one these are “the latest scores on the doors”Willie Mullins £3,478,997Dan Skelton £3,362,590… and Mullins leads by £116,4074.10 Sandown BET365 GOLD CUP HANDICAP CHASE, 3m 4f 146yds betting4-1 High Class Hero9-2 Resplendent Grey11-2 Minella Cocooner9-1 Dancing City11-1 Lombron12-1 Omoore Park14-1 Grangeclare West14-1 Victtorino20-1 Hoe Joly Smoke22-1 Olympic Man25-1 Goshen33-1 Kings Threshold33-1 Spanish Harlem35-1 Threeunderthrufive50-1 Monbeg Genius50-1 Chosen Witness50-1 Klarc Kent100-1 Knockanore100-1 Collectors ItemFull betting via Oddschecker4.

10 BET365 GOLD CUP HANDICAP CHASE, 3m 4f 146yds preview1st £98,472, 2nd £37,100, 3rd £18,567, 4th £9,275, 5th £4,655, 6th £2,327, 7th £1,155, 8th £595A first prize of just over £98k and assuming he has not already tucked it up, told it a story and turned out the lights, this is where 10 Mullins-trained runners will look to finally put the title race to bed,That is a much bigger proportion of the field than he fielded for the Grand National earlier this month, when Mullins-trained horses registered an unprecedented 1-2-3 and filled five of the first seven places in all,Four of the Irish stable’s runners – High Class Hero, Minella Cocooner, Dancing City and Grangeclare West – are in the first five in the betting, while Skelton fields just one opponent – a 16-1 shot, Hoe Joly Smoke,To be in with any chance, Skelton may well need Hoe Joly Smoke to win and non-Mullins horses – such as Resplendent Grey and Transmission – to finish second and third, which is a remote possibility, but a possibility all the same,SELECTION: MINELLA COCOONERHigh Class Hero (Mullins): Paul Townend, stable No.

1, is aboard, lightly-raced and should improve for the trip,Minella Cocooner (Mullins): last year’s winner, loves spring ground and back to form in the Grand National,Dancing City (Mullins): Multiple Grade One winner over hurdles, still early days over fences and should get the trip,Grangeclare West (Mullins): third in Grand National despite bad mistake at the last, but giving weight to the field,Lombron (Mullins): off the mark over fences on third attempt last time, Rachael Blackmore rides but unproven at trip.

Olympic Man (Mullins): wears a hood after looking like non-stayer at an extreme trip latest.Probably looking for place money.O’Moore Park (Mullins): Good second at Cheltenham 10 days ago, likes ground and could take minor placing.Spanish Harlem (Mullins): no luck at all when fancied for Scottish Grand National earlier this month, interesting outsiderChosen Witness (Mullins): non-stayer in Scottish Grand National so this trip has to be a worry.Klarc Kent (Mullins): runner-up in Scottish Grand National two weeks ago, yet to win over fences though.

Hoe Joly Smoke (Skelton): winner twice from four starts this season, but well out of the weights here.3.35 Sandown BET 365 CELEBRATION CHASE, GRADE ONE result1 Il Etait Temps (D E Mullins) 9-2 2 Jonbon (M P Walsh) 8-15 Fav 3 Energumene (P Townend) 11-2 7 ran3.35 Sandown BET 365 CELEBRATION CHASE, GRADE ONEAnd they’re off … Jonbon leads early and will try and make all the running … old rival Energumene is sin second spot with Unexpected Party third … Edwardstone is in midfield and Harper’s Brook is plum last … they are at halfway … and nothing much has changed in the order … into the home straight … Il Etait Temps comes with a challenge and now takes the lead … and goes clear and I think that’s the title just about wrapped up for Willie Mullins.Over at Navan, the Ascot Gold Cup winner Kyprios has won at prohibitive odds of 1-7.

He is unchanged at 11-8 with Betfair to win again at the Royal meeting in June,KYPRIOS! 😍The three-time Listed @BarOneRacing Vintage Crop Stakes winner @NavanRacecourse 🥇A treble for team @Ballydoyle 🙌 pic,twitter,com/rdHsykBbSo3,35 Sandown BET 365 CELEBRATION CHASE, GRADE ONE, 1m 7f 99yds betting4-7 Jonbon5-1 Il Etait Temps13-2 Energumene20-1 Master Chewy22-1 Edwardstone28-1 Unexpected Party200-1 Harpers BrookFull betting via Oddschecker3.

35 Sandown BET 365 CELEBRATION CHASE, GRADE ONE, 1m 7f 99yds preview1st £99,662, 2nd £37,397, 3rd £18,725, 4th £9,327, 5th £4,690, 6th £2,345Jointly with the Bet365 Gold Cup that comes up next, this is the most valuable contest on the card and it looks likely to evade both Mullins and Skelton as Nicky Henderson’s wonderfully consistent Jonbon is odds-on to win for the third year running.Mullins sends Energumene, a dual Champion Chase winner, but the ground is likely to be much quicker than he would like and if there is going to be an upset, another Mullins runner, Il Etait Temps, is much more likely to supply it.SELECTION: JONBONEnergumene (Mullins): top-class at his best but without a win this year and would like more cut.Il Etait Temps (Mullins): Grade One winner at Punchestown on his last start nearly a year ago, but something to find with Jonbon on that form.Unexpected Party (Skelton): useful handicapper at his best but looks out of his depth in this company.

Willie Mullins takes the lead with the third in the 3.00 at Sandown and both Dan Skelton runners unplaced.Mulllins now has a £2,709 advantage over his rival.Willie Mullins has hit the front in the title race.pic.

twitter,com/djHkUGi0zj3,00 Sandown BET365 SELECT HURDLE, GRADE 2 result1 Blueking D’oroux (H Cobden) 10-1 2 Salver (Caoilin Quinn) 11-2 3 Kitzbuhel (P Townend) 9-4 Fav 6 ran3,00 Sandown BET365 SELECT HURDLE, GRADE 2, 2m 5f 11OydsAnd they’re off … Blueking D’Oroux leaads with a circuit to go … Take No Chances for the Skeltons is second and stablemate Gwennie May Boy is in third … all going pretty well … Salver is in last as they turn for home but they are all close up … Blueking D’Oroux holds on to win and it’s tight for second,Pure class from @CobdenHarry to hold off the others 💪Blueking d'Oroux wins the bet365 Select Hurdle 🏆#ITVRacing | @PFNicholls | @Sandownpark pic.

twitter.com/SUNDioy5cFWillie Mullins is now only £2,635 behind Dan Skelton in the trainers’ title duel after the bet365 Oaksey ChaseJust £2,635 separates the pair after the bet365 Oaksey Chase 🤯 https://t.co/hK2SivOJFZ pic.twitter.com/0NyFQMaBAB3.

00 Sandown BET365 SELECT HURDLE, GRADE 2, 2m 5f 11Oyds betting7-4 Kitzbuhel3-1 Lucky Place9-2 Take No Chances15-2 Blueking Doroux8-1 Salver25-1 Gwennie May BoyFull betting via Oddschecker3,00 Sandown BET365 SELECT HURDLE, GRADE 2, 2m 5f 11Oyds preview1st £45,560, 2nd £17,096, 3rd £8,560, 4th £4,264, 5th £2,144, 6th £1,072One runner apiece for Mullins and Skelton, and a win for Take No Chances could conceivably be a momentum-shifter for Skelton, for all that Kitzbuhel looks like a very worthy favourite for his big rival,Take No Chances has finished a very respectable third behind Mullins’s top-class Lossiemouth in Grade One events at Cheltenham and Aintree on her last two starts, and her 5lb mares’ allowance is handy too,Kitzbuhel, though, is a very stern opponent, has more scope for progress than Skelton’s mare after just three starts for the Mullins yard and has a few pounds in hand on Timeform ratings,SELECTION: KITZBUHELKitzbuhel (Mullins): in his first season for the stable and still open to plenty of improvement.

Take No Chances (Skelton): never runs a bad race but a few pounds to find outside mares-only company.2.25 Sandown BET365 OAKSEY CHASE, GRADE TWO result 1 Gaelic Warrior (P Townend) 5-6 Fav 2 Appreciate It (S F O’Keeffe) 16-1 3 Ga Law (G Sheehan) 28-1 9 ran Also: 8-1 Gentleman De Mee 4th2.25 Sandown BET365 OAKSEY CHASE, GRADE TWO 2m 6m 164ydsAnd they’re off … Ga Law takes the lead and Pic D’Orhy makes a bad mistake early on and drops out to the back of the field pretty swiftly … Pic D’Orhy has been pulled up before the end of the first circuit … Classic Getaway has the lead now and Ga Law makes a shuddering mistake … Gaelic Warrior begins to make ground … and is poised to challenge at the second-last … he kicks clear and wins well for Willie Mullins, who also has the second in Appreciate It and the fourth in Gentleman De Mee.Mullins has nearly taken the lead already!First blood to team @WillieMullinsNH 🩸Gaelic Warrior is a class horse and shows all of his talent to dismiss a talented field in the Grade Two Bet365 Oaksey Chase 🫡A moment for that @PTownend ride too 🤩#PremierRaceday pic.

twitter,com/awGxCwrQHsHow the title race stands as runners from the trainers’ yards face up to each other for the first time at Sandown on the final day of the jumps season in the 2,25pm,🏆 How the title race currently stands: pic,twitter