Willie Mullins is definitely not out of the British title race - as the strength of his Aintree battalion confirms

There are 21 races to be figured out over the course of three pulsating days at Aintree so at least the various championships being done and dusted makes for one or two fewer conundrums to be scrutinised. 

Willie Mullins and Paul Townend, whose path back to the top of the jockeys' pile in Ireland has been simplified by the rotten luck endured by outgoing title-holder Jack Kennedy, will be crowned kings on home turf. Sean Bowen has both hands on a breakthrough jockeys' championship in Britain, and Dan Skelton will atone for his 2024 mugging by Mullins in the trainers' equivalent. His closest pursuers, Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson, are around £800,000 in arrears and the consensus seems to be that they might not have the depth of firepower to sustain a late surge and turnover such a large deficit.

As for Mullins, well, he might have legions of ammo but he is the small matter of more than £1.3 million off the pace. All that's left now is to stick a bow on Skelton's trophy, then, right? The bookies make him a 1-12 shot. It must be all done and dusted. Hmmm.