For the first time in seven decades, an Irish-based trainer has clinched the British champion honour over jumps, a feat previously achieved by Vincent O’Brien. Willie Mullins accomplished this despite his odds-on favourite, El Fabiolo, losing out in the bet365 Celebration Chase at Sandown. El Fabiolo’s relative success, having secured the second prize of £36,329, was key in Mullins’ victory against Dan Skelton, whose horse Nube Negra came fifth, earning £4,556.
Despite commencing the day with a substantial deficit of more than £162,000 against Mullins, Skelton accepted that the result of the Grade One race made it impossible for him to surpass Mullins’ winnings in the remaining contests.
This momentous win caps a remarkable season for Mullins, who previously emerged victorious in the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Galopin Des Champs, the Champion Hurdle with State Man, and the Grand National with I Am Maximus.
Mullins expressed his gratitude towards his horse owners for their unwavering support in this journey, stating, “What more could you ask for from my owners and staff? This has been an excellent year and we owe a lot to our formidable team of horses. Thanks to these right people, the horses have come to us.”
Reflecting on his accomplishment, he continued, “It’s extraordinary to achieve something that the legendary Vincent O’Brien did. It’s something we never even envisaged or perceived as possible.” The entire Closutton team is jubilant at this historic success.