Mullins clinches British jump trainers' title
Willie Mullins has become the first Irishman in 70 years to win the British jump trainers' championship.
He held off rivals Dan Skelton, who finished second, and defending champion Paul Nicholls following the season finale at Sandown.
Mullins' 4-6 favourite El Fabiolo finished second in the Celebration Chase, four lengths behind Nicky Henderson's Jonbon, but it was enough to confirm the title.
His stable's Minella Cocooner, ridden by nephew Danny Mullins, came in at 17-2 in the Bet365 Gold Cup to cap a wonderful season.
"It's something different," Willie Mullins told ITV. "You hope to win the Irish championship. You never dream of winning the British one."
He added: "We have a tremendous stable of horses at the moment. Very lucky to have them."
The Mullins stable has had a fraction of the winners of Skelton and Nicholls, but the title is decided on prize money and his horses have earned more than £3.2m over the past year after enjoying success in some of the season's biggest races.
The Closutton handler claimed victories in the Grand National and Scottish National, as well as the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
His stable's leading light, Galopin Des Champs, defended the Cheltenham Gold Cup to give the 67-year-old a fourth winner in the race in the last six years.
Mullins became the first trainer to win that race twice with two different horses after also scoring with Al Boum Photo in 2019 and 2020, and he reached a landmark 100 winners in the Cheltenham Festival's centenary year.
"To do it against the likes of Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and Dan Skelton - all guys that have good teams, very good trainers..." said Mullins. "It's probably a bit tough on Dan. He beats Paul Nicholls and then me coming up the inside."
His first British title means Mullins follows the legendary Vincent O'Brien, who was the only other Ireland-based trainer to achieve the feat, winning for a second time in 1954.
"Awesome - to do something the legend of the game Vincent O'Brien did 70 years ago was not something I ever had in my mind to do because I didn't think it could be done and here we are," added Mullins.
"We have had tremendous support from all our owners. Owners, staff, jockeys and a team of horses - a great team all round."
Harry Cobden was also officially crowned champion jockey at Sandown after sealing victory over his main rival Sean Bowen at Chepstow on Friday.
