On Monday 10th March Dan Skelton was priced up 1/6 to collect his first British trainers' title; six and a half weeks later, Willie Mullins is priced up 1/12 to collect his second British trainers' title.
Dan Skelton leads Willie Mullins by £68,483 this evening but tomorrow's card at Sandown will be pivotal.
The bet365 Gold Cup, due off at 4.10, is worth £98,473 to the winner and Willie Mullins is responsible for ten of the 20 runners.
His Grangeclare West, third behind stablemates Nick Rockett and I Am Maximus in the Grand National three weeks ago (Minella Cocooner seventh, Threeunderthrufive and Monbeg Genius pulled up), carries top weight on a mark of 168, thereby ensuring 11 in the field run from out of the handicap - including stablemates O'Moore Park, Spanish Harlem, Chosen Witness and Klarc Kent.
Skelton's sole entry, Hoe Joly Smoke, is 13 pounds 'wrong'.
Paul Townend, third on the Mullins trained Quai De Bourbon in the Irish National at Fairyhouse on Monday, rides favourite High Class Hero here. This one won a three mile point at Loughbrickland in November 2021 but has yet to win over that distance or beyond under rules.
Dancing City was well beaten in the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham in March and then parted company with Townend in the Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree; back in May last year he finished half a length ahead of High Class Hero in the Grade 1 Channor Real Estate Group Novices' Hurdle at Punchestown.
Danny Mullins and Minella Cocooner were victorious in this race last year (Threeunderthrufive weakening from three out to finish thirteenth) and the partnership try to repeat the trick this year off 155, a mark just four pounds higher.
Four of the Mullins runners contested the Scottish National at Ayr a fortnight ago: Chosen Witness, Olympic Man, Spanish Harlem and Klarc Kent.
Chosen Witness raced prominently but was eventually pulled up while both Olympic Man and Spanish Harlem didn't fence particularly well on the day; Klarc Kent on the other hand jumped the final flight three lengths to the good before being collared on the run to the line by stablemate Cool Cody.
Lombron, with Rachael Blackmore up, was pulled up on his sole start over three miles while O'Moore Park was beaten by the Skelton trained Riskintheground over an extended two and a half miles at Cheltenham ten days ago.
To my mind Minella Cocooner appeals most from the Mullins runners but there's no value in his current price.
Having said that, searching for a viable each-way play is beginning to look like something of a fool's errand.
Paul Kealy put up Victtorino in the RP Weekender.
This one is best going right-handed and has won on good ground previously but stable form has been poor recently, although Hunter Legend obliged for connections at Bangor yesterday.
The suspicion is both Jonjo O'Neill runners - Monbeg Genius and Collectors Item - would want more cut underfoot.
Resplendent Grey and Transmission finished fourth and fifth respectively behind Haiti Couleurs at Cheltenham in March (Klarc Kent eighth) - that form received a boost on Monday when the winner picked up the Irish National at Fairyhouse; off level weights, I'd expect Resplendent Grey to confirm the form.
Knockanore won the Eider 16 lengths in February but finished 33 lengths behind Mr Vango in the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter - and is 15 pounds 'wrong' here.
I'm going to take a chance with King's Threshold who has won his last three but still goes from eight pounds out of the handicap.
Writing in the RP Weekender [29.01-02.02.25] trainer Emma Lavelle said:
"He has plenty of ability but he's a fine-margin horse - he wants everything right for him. I've just fired his palate because he can make a bit of a noise and I think there are plenty more races in him. He's got himself well handicapped this season."
He has won on good ground and going right-handed; the trip is a step into the unknown.
King's Threshold is the each-way suggestion, at the time of writing 22/1 with Paddy Power who pay six places.
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