Champion strong in all departments as he leads from the front

The Closutton forces are on the march now that the jumps season is gathering momentum and already it is a campaign with a difference for multiple champion trainer Willie Mullins.

Unlike the last two seasons, when Mullins retained the championship by catching and overtaking Gordon Elliott in the final week, this time Mullins has been on top of the table since the start of the campaign. Elliott has conceded that a first title for his yard will have to wait for at least another season.

Mullins puts his early-season haul down to unusual circumstances. "We had more good-ground and dual-purpose horses to run over the summer and that gave us a head start," he says.