Key events
Willie Mullins has first (Gaelic Warrior), second and fourth in 2.25 at Sandown
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 4th
2.25 Sandown
BET365 OAKSEY CHASE, GRADE TWO 2m 6m 164yds
And 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 taken the lead already!
How 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.
Dan’s laughing for now … trainers’ title rivals meet at Sandown.
2.25 Sandown
BET365 OAKSEY CHASE, GRADE TWO, 2m 6m 164yds betting
Greg Wood
2.25 Sandown
BET365 OAKSEY CHASE, GRADE TWO, 2m 6m 164yds preview
1st £45,560, 2nd £17,096, 3rd £8,560, 4th £4,264, 5th £2,144, 6th £1,072
The first head-to-head between the title rivals on today’s card, but Skelton’s only runner, Boombawn, is one of the outsiders and he will be more hopeful that his old boss, Paul Nicholls, will take the major spoils with Pic D’Orhy. He is the clear danger on form to Mullins’s Gaelic Warrior, who returned to form with a smooth victory at Aintree’s Grand National meeting earlier this month, but this very much looks like the moment when Mullins will start to stamp his authority on the proceedings. Gaelic Warrior is a very obvious favourite on his Aintree form and Gentleman De Mee and Appreciate It also have a fair chance of picking up some useful place money.
SELECTION: GAELIC WARRIOR
Trainers’ title guide to runners
Gaelic Warrior (Mullins): clear on ratings and an obvious favourite on his winning form at Aintree three weeks ago.
Gentleman De Mee (Mullins): Plenty of miles on the clock but arrives in winning form, second prize of £17k would be useful.
Appreciate It (Mullins): top two-mile novice back in the day, running for place money here.
Classic Getaway (Mullins): more a handicapper than a Graded performer but third or fourth would serve a purpose.
Boombawn (Skelton): ran well enough in a Grade One last time but probably looking for a minor placing.
Mark Of Gold wins 1.50 at Sandown and Skelton is out of money
1 Mark Of Gold (Caoilin Quinn) 11-1
2 Mahons Glory (Lee Edwards) 14-1
3 Inedit Star (Tom Broughton) 10-1
9 ran
1.50 Sandown
BET365 JOSH GIFFORD NOVICE HANDICAP CHASE
And they’re off … Classic Anthem, the favourite, makes a bad mistake at the first and pecks on landing … Riskintheground for Dan Skelton is right at the back … Mahons Glory is in the lead … and jumping well at this stage … all appear to be in with a chance at halfway … Mahons Glory goes for home and Classic Anthem is in trouble … Mark Of Gold takes over at the last … Mahons Glory fights back but doesn’t make it. Dan Skelton is OUT of the prize money with the disappointing Riskintheground.
1.50 Sandown
BET365 JOSH GIFFORD NOVICE HANDICAP CHASE, 2m 4f betting
Greg Wood
1.50 Sandown
BET365 JOSH GIFFORD NOVICE HANDICAP CHASE, 2m 4f preview
1st £20,812, 2nd £9,568, 3rd £4,784, 4th £2,392, 5th £1,196, 6th £596
Another free hit for Dan Skelton as Mullins does not have a runner, and Riskintheground looks like a serious contender for this useful prize. The eight-year-old has already made a fine contribution to the cause in recent weeks, winning races at Ayr and Cheltenham which added around £66k to the stable’s haul for the season, and his ability to take races in quick succession is a big asset as he attempts to complete a quick hat-trick.
SELECTION: RISKINTHEGROUND
Riskintheground (Dan Skelton): loves the ground and bounces back quickly after a race, big chance to make another useful contribution to trainer’s total.
Leicester races have been getting some stick lately and this won’t help. The first race is 1.35pm and I hope he gets across the road before then!
Give It To Me Oj wins the 1.20 at Sandown
1 Give It To Me Oj (Caoilin Quinn) 20-1
2 Mythical Moon (Brendan Powell) 8-1
3 Fasol (Harry Skelton) 15-2
14 ran
Also: 5-1 Fav Sorceleur, 15-2 Serious Challenge 4th
Non Runner: 10
1.20 Sandown
BET365 NOVICE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL HANDICAP HURDLE
And they’re off … Sorceleur and Wolf Man lead the pack in the early stages … We’re Red And Blue now takes it up … Marche D’Aligre willl not be winning … Give It To Me Oj the top weight makes a serious challenge up the home straight and holds off the challenge of Mythical Moon in the closing stages.
1.20 Sandown
BET365 NOVICE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL HANDICAP HURDLE, 2m betting
Greg Wood
1.20 Sandown
BET365 NOVICE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL HANDICAP HURDLE, 2m preview
1st £51,440, 2nd £23,650, 3rd £11,830, 4th £5,910, 5th £2,960, 6th £1,470, 7th £740, 8th £370.00
A £51k final – horses need to have run in a qualifier to get into the field – but only one runner with any relevance to the National Hunt title race, and Dan Skelton’s Fasol is a relative outsider at 12-1. The key piece of form here definitely looks to be a novice hurdle at Southwell just 10 days ago, when Serious Challenge came home two-and-a-quarter lengths in front of John Barbour, with Sorceleur and Kientzheim next over the line. All four are in opposition again today under handicap conditions, and John Barbour, who is 7lb better off Serious Challenge, could be the one who comes out in front this time around.
Non-runner: Big Ginge
SELECTION: JOHN BARBOUR
The jump jockeys’ championship has at least been decided. Sean Bowen, who is improving in leaps and bounds in the saddle, is a deserved winner.
Greg Wood
4.45 BET365 HANDICAP HURDLE, 2m 3f 173yds
1st £18,210, 2nd £8,372, 3rd £4,186, 4th 2,093, 5th £1,046, 6th £521.50
The 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 SPORT
Bunting (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 aboard
Jump 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 penalty
Got Grey (Skelton): consistent handicapper and top conditional takes off 3lb, perhaps still a touch high in the weights though.
Greg Wood
4.10 BET365 GOLD CUP HANDICAP CHASE, 3m 4f 146yds preview
1st £98,472, 2nd £37,100, 3rd £18,567, 4th £9,275, 5th £4,655, 6th £2,327, 7th £1,155, 8th £595
A 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 COCOONER
High 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 outsider
Chosen 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.
Greg Wood
3.35 BET 365 CELEBRATION CHASE, GRADE ONE, 1m 7f 99yds preview
1st £99,662, 2nd £37,397, 3rd £18,725, 4th £9,327, 5th £4,690, 6th £2,345
Jointly 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: JONBON
Energumene (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.
Greg Wood
3.00 BET365 SELECT HURDLE, GRADE 2, 2m 5f 11Oyds preview
1st £45,560, 2nd £17,096, 3rd £8,560, 4th £4,264, 5th £2,144, 6th £1,072
One 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: KITZBUHEL
Kitzbuhel (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.
Dan Skelton has arrived at Sandown en famille …
Greg Wood
2.25 BET365 OAKSEY CHASE, GRADE TWO, 2m 6m 164yds preview
1st £45,560, 2nd £17,096, 3rd £8,560, 4th £4,264, 5th £2,144, 6th £1,072
The first head-to-head between the title rivals on today’s card, but Skelton’s only runner, Boombawn, is one of the outsiders and he will be more hopeful that his old boss, Paul Nicholls, will take the major spoils with Pic D’Orhy. He is the clear danger on form to Mullins’s Gaelic Warrior, who returned to form with a smooth victory at Aintree’s Grand National meeting earlier this month, but this very much looks like the moment when Mullins will start to stamp his authority on the proceedings. Gaelic Warrior is a very obvious favourite on his Aintree form and Gentleman De Mee and Appreciate It also have a fair chance of picking up some useful place money.
SELECTION: GAELIC WARRIOR
Gaelic Warrior (Mullins): clear on ratings and an obvious favourite on his winning form at Aintree three weeks ago.
Gentleman De Mee (Mullins): Plenty of miles on the clock but arrives in winning form, second prize of £17k would be useful.
Appreciate It (Mullins): top two-mile novice back in the day, running for place money here.
Classic Getaway (Mullins): more a handicapper than a Graded performer but third or fourth would serve a purpose.
Boombawn (Skelton): ran well enough in a Grade One last time but probably looking for a minor placing.
Our so-called rivals have gone to town over the trainers’ title business, with the “Currant Bun” riffing on the Benn-Eubank bout. Will be a long time since the Sun had Latin in its pages! “Numquam desistas”, by the way, means “Never give up”.
Greg Wood
1.50 BET365 JOSH GIFFORD NOVICE HANDICAP CHASE, 2m 4f preview
1st £20,812, 2nd £9,568, 3rd £4,784, 4th £2,392, 5th £1,196, 6th £596
Another free hit for Dan Skelton as Mullins does not have a runner, and Riskintheground looks like a serious contender for this useful prize. The eight-year-old has already made a fine contribution to the cause in recent weeks, winning races at Ayr and Cheltenham which added around £66k to the stable’s haul for the season, and his ability to take races in quick succession is a big asset as he attempts to complete a quick hat-trick.
SELECTION: RISKINTHEGROUND
Riskintheground (Dan Skelton): loves the ground and bounces back quickly after a race, big chance to make another useful contribution to trainer’s total.
Greg’s been hard at work sorting out tomorrow’s winners too. Here are the Sunday tips:
Quick Guide
Greg Wood’s Sunday tips
Show
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.
Greg Wood
Over the next hour we’ll bring you Greg Wood’s Sandown race-by-race guide with his analysis of every runner from Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton as they duel for the trainers’ title on the final day of the jumps season.
1.20 BET365 NOVICE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL HANDICAP HURDLE, 2m preview
1st £51,440, 2nd £23,650, 3rd £11,830, 4th £5,910, 5th £2,960, 6th £1,470, 7th £740, 8th £370.00
A £51k final – horses need to have run in a qualifier to get into the field – but only one runner with any relevance to the National Hunt title race, and Dan Skelton’s Fasol is a relative outsider at 12-1. The key piece of form here definitely looks to be a novice hurdle at Southwell just 10 days ago, when Serious Challenge came home two-and-a-quarter lengths in front of John Barbour, with Sorceleur and Kientzheim next over the line. All four are in opposition again today under handicap conditions, and John Barbour, who is 7lb better off Serious Challenge, could be the one who comes out in front this time around.
Non-runner: Big Ginge
SELECTION: JOHN BARBOUR
The boffins at respected ratings organisation Timeform have crunched the numbers for us and that 1-5 about Willie Mullins is beginning to look very generous. Yikes … Mr Mullins has more 145+ rated horses running today than Skelton and Henderson have in their yards combined!
Timeform ratings highlight the incredible strength in depth at Mullins’ disposal and just how difficult a task Dan Skelton has faced in trying to wrest the title from the champion.
After the retirement of Langer Dan, Skelton was left with seven horses with a Timeform rating of 145 or higher, the benchmark for smart form over jumps, while Etalon also reached that level when successful at Perth on Wednesday.
In contrast, Mullins has a remarkable 58 horses rated 145 or higher, providing him with a far deeper pool of horses to choose from in the most valuable end-of-season races that has enabled him to rapidly eat into the lead Skelton has spent all season accumulating and will probably prove decisive in the trainers’ championship.
Tony McFadden, deputy racing editor at Timeform and Sporting Life, points out: “At Sandown today alone Mullins has 21 horses declared, 11 of whom have smart Timeform ratings. That’s more horses rated 145+ running on one card than Skelton (8) and Nicky Henderson (10) could call upon and only one fewer than Paul Nicholls has in his stable.
“It is not by luck that Mullins has been able to acquire such a deep and talented team – he is reaping the rewards for decades of success. But when the Mullins juggernaut fixes on a target there is now almost an inevitability it will crush anything in its path.”
Some star quality at Sandown. She makes regular appearance on the live blog as she loves her racing. Good morning Carol Vorderman …
The Dan Skelton Sandown squad
1.20: bet365 Novices’ Championship Final Handicap Hurdle (£100,000)
No runners
1.50: bet365 Josh Gifford Novices’ Handicap Chase (£40,000)
Riskintheground
2.25: bet365 Oaksey Chase (Grade 2, £80,000)
Boombawn
3.00: bet365 Select Hurdle (Grade 2, £80,000)
Gwennie May Boy, Take No Chances
3.35: bet365 Celebration Chase (Grade 1, £175,000)
Harper’s Brook, Unexpected Party
4.10: bet365 Gold Cup (£175,000)
Holy Joe Smoke
4.45: bet365 Handicap Hurdle (£35,000)
Mostly Sunny, Got Grey
The Willie Mulllins Sandown squad
1.20: bet365 Novice Championship Final Handicap Hurdle (£100,000)
No runners
1.50: bet365 Josh Gifford Novices’ Handicap Chase (£40,000)
No runners
2.25: bet365 Oaksey Chase (Grade 2, £80,000)
Apreciate It, Classic Getaway, Gaelic Warrior, Gentleman De Mee
3.00: bet365 Select Hurdle (Grade 2, £80,000)
Kitzbuhel
3.35: bet365 Celebration Chase (Grade 1, £175,000)
Energumene, Il Etait Temps
4.10: bet365 Gold Cup (£175,000)
Grangeclare West, Minella Cocooner, Dancing City, High Class Hero, Lombron, Olympic Man, O’Morre Park, Spanish Harlem, Chosen Witness, Klarc Kent
4.45: bet365 Handicap Hurdle (£35,000)
Bunting, King Alexander, Dr Eggman, Jump Allen
Preamble
And they’re off. Welcome to the new regular Guardian racing blog. We’ll be here on every big racing Saturday throughout the year (including “Super Saturday” in July when the blogger on the day will have to be stretchered off before the last race) and what a way to start with the trainers’ title duel set to be decided on the final day of jumps racing of the season.
Dan Skelton, who has led all the way from day one, is set to be overtaken (spoiler alert) by the relentless Willie Mullins steamroller this afternoon who the bookies are currently quoting at a prohibitive 1-5. For every five quid you put on Willie to lift the trophy you get one back (plus your stake of course). But this is sport and glorious uncertainties are always possible. Dan has nine runners declared at Sandown and Willie has sent 21 over from his Irish base; Dan has amassed £3,325,540 in prize money this season so far and Willie £3,284,057. Skelton currently leads by £68,483.
Mullins, though, outnumbers Skelton 10 to one in the big betting race of the day, the bet365 Gold Cup at 4.10pm, and has twice as many runners in the concluding bet365 Handicap Hurdle at 4.45pm with four.
Twelve months ago Mullins headed to Sandown, which traditionally hosts the final day of the jumps season, with a six-figure lead over Skelton and perennial champion Paul Nicholls and never looked in serious danger of being reeled in, with victories for Minella Cocooner and Impaire Et Passe ensuring he became the first Irish-based trainer since Vincent O’Brien 70 years earlier to lift the British title.
There is a slightly different feel to the conclusion of this year’s race, with Skelton having led the way for virtually the entire campaign and he appeared home and hosed before Mullins fired in eight winners across three days at Aintree and saddled five of the first seven home in the Grand National.
Skelton, though, admits he is fearing the worst. “Everyone here is full of hope and full of the possibility, but I feel like I know what’s coming [today],” he said. “I’ve known since Aintree that Willie was going to bring a few over for the Scottish National and a few for the midweek meetings and then he was going to attack Sandown with some vigour.
“But I didn’t sit back after Aintree and say the inevitability of all this is going to subdue me and my team. We’ve come out and done everything we can, our horses have been phenomenal and I’m so proud of everybody.”
Stay with us to follow all the twists and turns of the title race but that’s not all today. We have Ascot Gold Cup hero Kyprios returning at Navan with a third victory in the most prestigious race at Royal Ascot his main target.
And we’ll have all the news and action throughout the day. The eyecatchers, the gambles and the ones that got away. Keep tuned to this blog and you won’t miss a thing.