22 April 2024 , 10:08
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Paul Nicholls has conceded defeat to Willie Mullins in the British jumps trainers’ championship.
With the season due to end on Saturday at Sandown, reigning and 14-time champion Nicholls finds himself in third place behind Mullins and Dan Skeltom, more than £250,000 off the lead.
A four-timer, including victory in the Scottish Grand National, at Ayr last Saturday put 17-time Irish champion Mullins in pole position to become the first since Vincent O’Brien in 1954 to win both titles. Nicholls drew a blank.
On Monday Ladbrokes became the latest bookmaker to pay out early on bets with Mullins a 1-4 chance.
Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes said: "The home defence will put up a strong effort to claw something back this week in the race for the trainers title.
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"However, we know Willie Mullins won’t be taking his lead for granted and we are confident that the Irish trainer will get his hands on the title for the first time this weekend."
Nicholls, in his Ditcheat Diary for Betfair, said: “We are not going to win the trainers’ championship,” he admitted in his Ditcheat Diary with Betfair. .Willie’s got that in the bag.
“I was just looking at some of the entries on Saturday. At this stage he’s got nine in the Celebration Chase so he means business this weekend.
“There’s no chance of that happening, but if we can just crack the £3m barrier I would be happy with that. Great strike rate this season again, 24-25 per cent, and again do the best we can this week.”
Paul Nicholls: admitted battle for trainers' crown is over for him (GETTY)Mullins had never had a winner at Ayr before last weekend and he is out to reinforce his challenge with his first runner at Ffos Las on Monday.
Nicholls has sent out 127 winners this year, earning £2.7m in prize-money, but since the Cheltenham Festival has seen former assistant Skelton overtake him. Skelton, £179,000 behind Mullins, has a £78,000 lead over Nicholls.
“All credit to Willie,” he continued. “He’s got a big team, people and horses, particularly horses. It’s become a bit of a numbers game and the numbers they can produce to run in races across the board is immense.
“It’s a job to compete with that. I remember back in the year when I had all those good ones, you’d win the trainers’ championship by just winning those big races. The last few years it\s been about getting the best out of your team.
Dan Skelton: may have to settle for second place (Getty Images)“Now you are up against those battalions, it's very difficult. If you win those big races like Champion Hurdes, Gold Cups and Grand Nationals you are going to be champion trainer with a small number of runners compared to Dan and I domestically.
“It’s not going to get any easier with the numbers of horses they’ve got at their disposal and the class of the horses they’ve got at their disposal.
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“It’s an amazing feat to do both but the ammunition they’ve got and the numbers they got, we’re up against it.
“I feel for Dan. In a normal year he’d be champion trainer, but.he could end up finishing second having beaten me. I know he’s mortified.”