'Genius' Willie Mullins makes history as first Irish trainer to win British championship for 70 years

Willie Mullins became the first trainer based in Ireland to be crowned champion over jumps in Britain since Vincent O'Brien 70 years ago when El Fabiolo finished second in the Celebration Chase on the final day of the season at Sandown on Saturday. 

Despite being more than £700,000 behind Dan Skelton at the top of the standings heading into the Aintree festival this month, Mullins moved into striking distance when I Am Maximus won the Grand National, then all but sealed a first title in Britain when Macdermott won the Scottish Grand National, the highlight of a 4,462-1 four-timer at Ayr seven days ago.

Mullins led Skelton by £181,632 at the start of Sandown's end-of-season finale but took nothing for granted with eight runners, including heavyweights El Fabiolo and Impaire Et Passe, entered in six of the seven races. 

El Fabiolo was no match for Jonbon in the Grade 1 Celebration Chase, but pipped Edwardstone for third to put the title out of reach of his nearest challenger Skelton and give Mullins the championship to add to the 17 he was won in Ireland. Victories for Minella Cocooner in the bet365 Gold Cup and Impaire Et Passe in the Select Hurdle ensured the day ended in suitably spectacular fashion.

It crowned a stellar season that also included victory at Cheltenham in the Gold Cup with Galopin Des Champs and Champion Hurdle with State Man. The dominant trainer across Britain and Ireland also secured a clean sweep of the eight Grade 1s at the Dublin Racing Festival in February.

Speaking after the Celebration Chase, Mullins said: "What can I say? It's been a fantastic year and all of my owners said whatever you need to take to Britain take it, which is tremendous. You can't ask for anything more than the owners and staff we have. When you start off with the right people, the horses will come."

Racegoers in Willie Mullins masks around the winner's enclosure greet the new champion trainerCredit: Edward Whitaker

Success in the British title race for Mullins comes eight years after he pushed Paul Nicholls to the last day of the season at Sandown, only to come up £98,005 short. No other Irish-based trainer has come anywhere close to taking the title since O'Brien rewrote the record books and landed back-to-back wins in 1952-53 and 1953-54.

Mullins added: "Vincent O'Brien is the legend of the game. For me to do something only he has is extraordinary and something we never even thought of or could comprehend doing. We're all delighted and everyone at Closutton is very happy.

"It has to be better than anything [before] as to win the two championships in the modern era was something we thought could never be done and we never dreamed of doing it until a few years ago when we got pipped at the post. I said then if we ever got an opportunity again we'd do everything in our power [to win] which we did. It's brilliant and I'm amazed at the goodwill I've had from the racing fraternity and public. I've been welcomed with open arms everywhere we've been.

"We're going to to celebrate long and hard, that's a given. We'll start off this evening and it will probably go on for the whole of Punchestown and maybe a few days after as well."

Much of the season has revolved around the battle between reigning champion Paul Nicholls, seeking a record-equalling 15th title, and Skelton chasing his first win, and before Aintree it looked a straight shootout between the two. 

However, Skelton, who was Britain's most successful trainer at last month's Cheltenham Festival, had to settle for second, with Nicholls close behind in third. Nicky Henderson, who endured an up-and-down season finished in fourth with Mullins' main rival in Ireland, Gordon Elliott, fifth.

Minella Cocooner (right) won the bet365 Gold Cup on Sandown's jumps finale card for Willie MullinsCredit: Edward Whitaker

Leading the tributes to Mullins, Sir Anthony McCoy, crowned champion jockey 20 consecutive times in Britain, hailed him as a genius and the most dominant trainer jumps racing had seen.

"Not only to win a trainers' championship but also to win a Champion Hurdle, Gold Cup and Grand National in one season is phenomenal," said McCoy. "I don't think anyone will ever change racing in the way Vincent O'Brien did. He was flying horses out of Ballydoyle 60 years ago and was well ahead of his time, but to do what Willie has done is unheard of. 

"It's taken 70 years for someone else to do it and he's done it by beating Paul Nicholls, who has been champion trainer 14 times, and Dan Skelton, who has had an unbelievable year as well. The worrying thing is [for British-based trainers] that once you get a taste it could happen again. He's a genius of a trainer and I never thought anyone would train 100 Cheltenham Festival winners like Willie has. 

"He's built a machine and it goes all year round. It goes to Australia, America, Britain and France. There's never been a more dominant jumps trainer and it will probably be another 70 years until there is again. It's brilliant and you couldn't praise him highly enough. It's now up the rest of them to try and catch up."

Nicholls: 'You can't have anything but admiration for him'

Both Skelton and Nicholls were magnanimous in defeat and vowed to be back next season with a fresh shot at the title

Skelton said: "Willie needed to win the Grand National to put himself in position and he did and then he needed to win the Scottish National to make it really hard and he did and then he won the bet365 Gold Cup. You can't say fairer than that. They've got a great team who are setting the standard and we'll come up to it. 

"I genuinely thought the day I beat Paul Nicholls at the end of the season I'd be champion trainer, so to not be is pretty galling but not unexpected. We've known this has been coming since Aintree but I get hungrier every day to win it. 

Paul Nicholls and Dan Skelton were pipped by the Closutton machineCredit: Edward Whitaker

"I look on with positive envy. I want to have what he's got just like we all do but he won't be any prouder of his team than I am of mine. We've put up a great season and I'm very proud of the horses and humans. Onwards to next year and we'll have to go one better." 

Nicholls added: "Willie has done amazing. It's all clicked this year and you can't have anything but admiration for him. I'm mightily proud of what Dan has achieved too and feel sorry for him a bit. He always said that when he beat me he'd be champion trainer and Willie has scuppered that but Dan has had a mightily good year and should be proud.    

"We've still had a brilliant season but just lacked a few stars to win some of those big races. You can't win the Premiership every year, it depends on the players you've got. We'll try and get a few new players and up the quality a little bit and we'll be back again."

Jumps heavyweights pay tribute to 'extraordinary' champion

Jockey Paul Townend
He's made my career and he's a genius of a man. Away from that he's a lovely man to work with and very fair. He says it as it is. I'm a very small part of a huge operation and just very lucky to be in the position I am.

Owner JP McManus
He's very talented and full marks to him. It was 70 years ago that Vincent O'Brien won it and it's a great achievement. It's very special and would make it more interesting each year if he decides to give it a run.

Trainer Alan King
You've got to admire him. This has been building and coming for years and we're seeing it at its might now. For the last ten years it's been getting stronger and stronger and it's quite mind blowing but I've got huge admiration for him. He's got every key thing in place.  

Trainer Nicky Henderson
We're lucky to be in the same era and you can only admire what he's done. It's lucky we're all good mates and we can enjoy it with them. We'll be back next year without any little blips in the middle of the season I hope. We've got some seriously good horses to go to war with.

Wife Jackie Mullins
It's extraordinary and when we started off we never dreamed it would end up anything like this. Willie is very laid back, I even had to wake him up to watch Patrick's race at Perth yesterday because he was fast asleep. It's such an extraordinary team of horses, owners and staff.

Read these next:

Jonbon dominates Celebration Chase to maintain perfect record at Sandown 

Impaire Et Passe and Minella Cocooner star for rampant Mullins as he storms clear of Skelton - jumps finale as it happened 

Danny Mullins delighted to play 'super-sub' role as he triumphs in bet365 Gold Cup thriller on Minella Cocooner 

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