Monster 4,462-1 four-timer puts Willie Mullins in the ascendancy for first British title, and he ain't letting up

On a day when nothing much went right for his two main title rivals, Willie Mullins left Ayr with one hand on the British trainers' championship trophy, although in typically modest fashion he described himself as being in no better than "pole position" heading to the season finale at Sandown in a week's time. 

A stunning 4,462-1 four-timer and a haul of £209,137 at the Scottish venue on Saturday surely exceeded Mullins' wildest dreams, taking his earnings in Britain for the season through the £3 million barrier and giving him a £182,195 cushion over Dan Skelton, while Paul Nicholls needs to bridge a gap of £279,671 to claim a 15th title by the close of play next Saturday. 

Mullins ran six horses in the £200,000 Coral Scottish Grand National, although that was reduced to four barely after the starting flag had dropped with Mr Incredible pulling himself up before the first fence where We'llhavewan unseated Kieran Callaghan. 

However, it would be a very different story at the other end of the race, with the judge's verdict in favour of Macdermott over Surrey Quest in a pulsating finish, delivering £112,540 to the Mullins effort, while stablemates Klarc Kent, Ontheropes and Spanish Harlem combined with £18,580 for finishing fourth, fifth and sixth, almost nullifying Skelton's earnings for the entire day at Ayr and Bangor. 

Having begun the day a fraction less than £5,000 adrift of Dan Skelton, Mullins was already back at the head of the championship following the second race after Paul Townend had ridden a brilliant waiting race before delivering former crack two-mile hurdler Sharjah to win the novice handicap chase over 3m. At that point Paddy Power, who paid out Mullins backers on Friday, went 1-4 about Ireland's perennial champion becoming the first Irish-based trainer to win the British jumps crown since Vincent O'Brien 70 years ago. 

For all the Gold Cups and Grand Nationals, Townend might reflect that his best ride of the season to this point in Britain had been aboard Absurde, when slicing through traffic to nab L'Eau Du Sud in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham. He came close to matching that as Bialystok picked his way from the back to challenge at the last in the Scottish Champion Hurdle and, despite having to give second best to Favour And Fortune, another £21,200 for second place prompted the layers to go 1-6 about Mullins' title odds. 

None of that would have proved decisive, but the hammer blow delivered by Macdermott and the trainer's nephew Danny took Mullins almost £160,000 clear of Skelton, while the Closutton team drove home their advantage in relentless fashion, as Chosen Witness and Quai De Bourbon brought up the four-timer. 

Sharjah initiated a 4,462-1 four-timer for Willie Mullins at AyrCredit: GROSSICK RACING

Paul Nicholls was unable to get in on the act with 9-4 market leader Sans Bruit and 100-30 joint-favourite Larchmont Lass both well beaten, while Skelton's day was summed up when Major Fortune went down by just a nose to the Mullins-trained Chosen Witness in the 3m½f novice handicap hurdle.

There is a total of £675,000 up for grabs across seven races at Sandown next Saturday, riches which dwarfs the money Mullins, Skelton and Nicholls will be fighting for during the week. But after I Am Maximus had nosed him ahead for the first time at Aintree a week ago, Mullins was in no mood to allow either of his rivals a chance to build any kind of momentum here, and he is now 1-20 to complete his historic feat with Skelton out to 8-1 and reigning champion Nicholls a 16-1 chance. 

Read more here

'That's one photograph I'll be taking home with me!' - Macdermott puts Willie Mullins in pole position for trainers' title

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