The big four: the leading contenders for the British jumps trainers' title - plus championship odds

Who will claim the 2024-25 British jumps trainers' championship? We run through the leading contenders and note the horses who could fire them to victory . . .

2024-25 jumps trainers' title betting

Coral: 5-4 Dan Skelton, 7-4 Willie Mullins, 3 Paul Nicholls, 8 Nicky Henderson

Dan Skelton

Title odds: 5-4f

The big horses: Ryanair Chase winner Protektorat is set to reappear in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree on Sunday before a tilt at next month's Betfair Chase – a race he won impressively in 2022.

He has earned prize-money of more than £720,000 and should provide Skelton, who finished a close runner-up behind Willie Mullins in last season's epic race for the trainers' title, with representation in many of the season's top staying chases.

Protektorat: winner of last season's Ryanair ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

Grey Dawning enjoyed a breakthrough novice chase campaign, winning three times in six starts including the Turners Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. He is yet to finish outside the first three over fences and should contest plenty of valuable pots as a second-season chaser.

Langer Dan progressed from handicapper to Graded performer last season and is likely to have many of the season's top 2m5f-3m hurdle races on his radar, while L'Eau Du Sud could be a classy novice chaser for the stable. He finished second in the Betfair Hurdle and County Hurdle last season before a fifth in the Scottish Champion Hurdle when last seen.

What Skelton says about the title: "We're ready to go for it again. We got beat last season, but who knows what will happen this season.

"We've lots of nice horses to have a go with and we're in a strong position. Part of that [targeting the summer] was because of the title race, but you've mostly got to run them on the ground they need and in the races they can win, so that's probably three parts of it.

"If you've got your eye on the title you want to get as much money as you can and keep building and, don't get me wrong, there was a bit of that at play, but we've done it with the right horses."

Willie Mullins

Title odds: 7-4

The big horses: There's no better place to start than with Galopin Des Champs, who will bid to become the first horse since Best Mate to win three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups. He has won three times in four visits to the Cheltenham Festival and will be again be a key horse in Mullins' bid to retain the British trainers' title he famously landed last season.

Grand National winner I Am Maximus could also have the Gold Cup on his radar, while he could also bid to retain his £500,000 Aintree purse.

I Am Maximus: will it be the Gold Cup or Grand National this season?Credit: John Grossick

Gaelic Warrior could be targeted at the King George, while the hugely exciting Ballyburn holds no end of options over hurdles and fences.

What Mullins says about the title: "I think we will probably have a few more entries than we usually have at the earlier Cheltenham meetings. You have had a lot of rain in England compared to what we have had over here so the ground will not be an issue as it can be in other years for us. I can see ourselves being more proactive going to Cheltenham."

Paul Nicholls

Title odds: 3-1

The big horses: Chasers Bravemansgame and Pic D'Orhy are stable stalwarts and should find plenty of opportunities to pick up prize-money before the big spring festivals.

Ginny's Destiny, runner-up in Grade 1s at Cheltenham and Aintree earlier this year, is set to start his season in next month's Paddy Power Gold Cup.

Fourteen-time champion trainer Nicholls also has €740,000 recruit Caldwell Potter to look forward to this campaign, along with the £660,000 Regent's Stroll, who was two from two in bumpers last season and looks a hugely exciting novice hurdle prospect.

What Nicholls says about the title: "This is another season. I've been so lucky and won 14 championships and if I didn't win another one I'm not going to be losing sleep. I do want to win a 15th and I'm as competitive and love the game more than ever, but I want to win as many races as I can, bring these young horses through and win those good races again.

"The team is always evolving and we've got a lovely team for the future. It'll happen again but it isn't the be-all and end-all. We've got a great team of horses, jockeys and staff."

Nicky Henderson

Title odds: 8-1

The big horses: All eyes will be on Newcastle on November 30, when hurdling superstar Constitution Hill is set to make his eagerly awaited return to action. Plenty has happened since the seven-year-old landed the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day and it will be fascinating to see whether he retains all of his brilliance for six-time champion trainer Henderson.

Jonbon was beaten just once in five starts last season and ended the campaign with Grade 1 victories at Aintree and Sandown, and he is set to reappear in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham next month.

Sir Gino was a perfect three from three as a juvenile hurdler, claiming the Grade 1 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree when last seen. His connections flirted with the idea of sending him chasing but he is set to stay over hurdles this season and could be Champion Hurdle-bound.

What Henderson says about the title: "We have a very strong squad across the board, and I hope the novice chasers will be our chief department. They could be a good bunch and hopefully out of that crop then we'll have some older chasers in a year's time. I want a few staying chasers so I can win a Grand National and disappear. I'm sure it's in this bunch of novice chasers we have."

Read these next:

Are you for or against Constitution Hill at 7-4 for the Champion Hurdle? Our experts have their say 

Five big-name jumps horses set to return this weekend - including a potentially classy chasing debutant 

'Ronnie Bartlett assures us he's in the same category as Simonsig and Ballyburn' - five Nicky Henderson dark horses for the season 

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