Another hugely successful Cheltenham festival has opened up the possibility of Willie Mullins bridging a 62-year gap by landing the British trainers’ championship this season.
The legendary Vincent O’Brien landed back-to-back British trainer titles from Ireland between 1952 and 1954, and last week’s festival haul of more than €1.5 million by Mullins-trained horses has put him back in contention to overhaul Paul Nicholls by the end of the cross-channel campaign at Sandown next month.
Mullins currently trails his rival by less than €200,000 and has remarked: “It’s all to play for and I’ll probably run a few more at Aintree than usual.”
Grade One card
The Irishman also indicated he could have runners at Sandown’s valuable end-of-season Grade One card which is run close to the Punchestown festival here.
Bookmakers currently rate Mullins’s chances of landing the British title at 6-4 (with Nicholls on 4-6), and the Champion Hurdle winner Annie Power could be in contention to try to help her trainer be simultaneous champion on both sides of the Irish Sea.
Annie Power, who, along with Vautour, paraded at the Curragh yesterday, is a possible Aintree Hurdle starter in Liverpool next month, although the destination of the Grand National could be crucial to who emerges as top trainer.
Nicholls has the current 12-1 second favourite Silviniaco Conti. Mullins’s top-priced entry is currently Friday’s Gold Cup third, Don Poli, who is a general 20-1 shot.
