Cannot believe there's a not a thread about this yet! Personally how the trainers championship is done is ridiculous however this year it is very exciting and good really has come out of this for us fans and punters! Even the trainers that aren't involved in it are going to try and throw some spanners in the work by chucking some good quality horses in but The top trainers either side of the Irish Sea fight it out! Nicholls has come out and said that he wants to win- which is great cause a lot of trainers would say " if we won it would be great but what will happen will happen" but both trainers are chucking everything at it. Douvan Vautour are reportedly coming over to sandown on Saturday but at minimum we will see another UDS vs Sprinter rematch . That tells you all what willie thinks of it! Nicholls v Mullins: How Sandown's card could decide the title BY KEITH MELROSE 2:50PM 18 APR 2016 WITH a massive sum of the prize money up for grabs in the jump season's final fling at Sandown on Saturday, the race for the trainers' championship is set to go down to the very last day of the campaign. Reigning British champion trainer Paul Nicholls holds a narrow advantage of slightly over £40,000 from Willie Mullins. Both are set to throw everything at Sandown's valuable card in the hope of edging sealing the title. Most bookies have Nicholls the slight favourite, with 10-11 (BetVictor) the best price available about him. Mullins can be backed at 5-4 with StanJames. With the entries for Sandown now available, here is how the title might be decided. 2.25 bet365 Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Class 2) Total prize fund £50,000 Winners' prize £31,280 Voix Du Reve's last-flight fall in the Fred Winter when coming to challenge could prove one of the turning points of the battle, as it left Nicholls with a one-two for which he claimed just shy of £60,000. That horse is Mullins' sole entrant in this valuable juvenile handicap. Nicholls has three: Tommy Silver, Frodon and Sunday's Wincanton winner Zubayr. 3.00 bet365 Oaksey Chase (Grade 2) Total prize fund £50,000 Winners' prize £28,475 Mullins has a stronger hand in this race, though it is not the most valuable on the card and most of his five entrants - Sir Des Champs, Valseur Lido, Vautour, Ballycasey and Vroum Vroum Mag - have other engagements. please log in to view this image Nicholls also has five entrants, led by former Champion Chase winner Dodging Bullets. He also has Saphir Du Rheu, Wonderful Charm, Rocky Creek and Art Mauresque. Philip Hobbs, whose quietly brilliant season has played out in the background of this battle, could yet have his say here with two-time winner Menorah. 3.35 bet365 Celebration Chase (Grade 1) Total prize fund £125,000 Winners' prize £71,187 The second most valuable prize on the card was reoponed until Tuesday morning after just nine entries were received. 4.10 bet365 Gold Cup (Grade 3) Total prize fund £150,000 Winners' prize £84, 405 Staying chasers are so often Nicholls' trump card and in the most valuable race of the day he has arguably his strongest hand. Southfield Theatre is the ante-post favourite, while he also has last year's winner Just A Par. Pacha Du Polder, Wonderful Charm and Rocky Creek complete his quintet. please log in to view this image Mullins' claims here are not so obvious. Sir Des Champs was an early casualty in the Grand National, Measureofmydreams exited in the Scottish equivalent and Pleasant Company pulled up in the four-miler at Cheltenham. 4.45 bet365 Select Hurdle (Listed) Total prize fund £50,000 Winners' prize £28,475 The theoretical edge here belongs to Mullins, who has Shaneshill and Vroum Vroum Mag among his quartet. Nicholls has as many entries, with Ptit Zig or Silsol perhaps his strongest. It is a little surprising not to see Saphir Du Rheu given the option of returning to hurdles. 5.20 bet365 Josh Gifford Novices' Handicap Chase (Class 2) Total prize fund £30,000 Winners' prize £18,768 Kylemore Lough, who won a Grade 1 novice in Ireland last time, is the big name in this race for Kerry Lee. Rolly Baby could make the opposite journey to be Mullins' sole runner. Three of Nicholls' entrants - Some Buckle, As De Mee and Calipto - have fallen a little short of lofty expectations so far this season. The other, Dormello Mo, runs at Newton Abbot on Monday. 5.55 bet365 Handicap Hurdle (Class 2) Total prize fund £30,000 Winners' prize £18,768 It could all come down to this race and neither man seems to be taking any risks. Mullins has eight entrants, Nicholls seven. Expect many to be declared as the two champions try to wring every drop from this final £30,000 available for the 2015-16 season.
I don't think Douvan's coming over Woolly - where have you seen that? Or is it a typo? Should be a great finale to the NH season.
I did find it hard to believe but swear I heard it on channel 4 or ATR! I was amazed to hear it but as you say great end to a great season
It's pretty amazing how it's come down to this. Nicholls, as usual, being ultra competitive and very hungry to come out on top. You sense he'll run anything he feels has a chance such is his desire to keep his title. Not sure Mullins is quite as hungry for it, I suspect he'll keep most of his stars for Punchestown and potentially let Nicholls win it. Either will be worthy winners, in very different ways in my humble opinion.
Hard to believe Nicholls used to be a jockey!He'll be paying for two Ryanair seats soon if he doesn't lay off the pork pies!
Don't be fooled into believing Mullins isn't that bothered about winning, he is, he just try's to play down everything like alot of people in racing seem to do. With Punchestown around the corner he wouldn't be bringing some of his big guns over if he wasn't after the trainers title. If Mullins does win, it will be some achievement considering he's not even British based. The British trainers are really struggling these days, even Nichols barely has a star horse in his yard now. He's just up there from winning a lot of valuable handicaps.
....Two great trainers, at the moment the very best jumps trainers on this planet, but I don't think either Willie Mullins or Paul Nicholls will lose much sleep if they finish second here?
You know, Archers, there are a lot of cracks on here about Paul's size, but I think maybe one or two of them, surely, should look in the mirror themselves?. It is hard to believe they're all slim as a pencil? What's important, he's a rattling good trainer IMHO. As is Willie Mullins, of course. Maybe I can afford a donkey to send to Ditcheat (if he'd take it of course) so I can have a breakfast there?
As someone who weighs as much as two jockeys, I won't be making cracks about anyone's weight myself Swanny.
Yes, I could do with losing about 6kg, which isn't too much I guess. Any more, I'd start to look a bit gaunt.......
At least he has the consolation of having the best 2 horses In training in Cue Card and The crack eh Shergy <RUN>....
I'm pretty sure Willie wants this just as much as Nicholls. He's invested in a Scottish road atlas recently and off to Perthshire tomorrow. It certainly adds a bit of spice to Saturdays curtain call at Sandown. It could be his ol mucker Henderson that nicks it for Nicholls on Saturday.
Christ that Celebration Chase looks a humdinger if they all stand their ground!! Sprinter vs Douvan vs UDS vs Vautour!! Bring it on!!
Pretty sure Douvan will stay home and run in the Ryanair Novice Chase next Thursday at Punchestown. I'd suspect one of either UDS or Vautour will line up in the Celebration Chase with the other being kept back for the 2 mile Champion Chase at Punchestown next Tuesday (although Mullins also has Felix Yonger, Twinlight and VVM entered in that one).
Mullins picks up £15k for a 1-2 in a 4 horse race at perth. Won't be much in it come the start of the action at Sandown on Saturday
