MULLINS FEVER
Willie’s backed for a National double
GRAND Nationalwinning trainer Willie Mullins is all the rage to score a double in the Scottish equivalent, as the Irish handler bids to win the British trainers’ championship.
Scottish Grand National race sponsors Coral have made Mullins’ Macdermott the 6-1 favourite for the race
– which has a first prize of £112,540 – and Mullins the 1-2 favourite for the trainers’ title.
In addition to the National, the Scottish Champion Hurdle is worth £56,270 to the winner.
Mullins added £500,000 to his tally when I Am Maximus stormed to Randox Grand
National glory on Saturday – a sum that puts him ahead of Dan Skelton and Paul Nicholls in the title race.
The win also puts him on course to become only the second foreign-based trainer to land the coveted prize after Vincent O’Brien’s back to back titles in 1953 and 1954. “I would love to win the trainers’ championship,” Mullins (above) said. “Vincent O’Brien did it in the 50s, and it’s something different to do, and I would like to win it.”
Officials at Ayr are understandably looking forward to the added interest in their big meeting after events at Aintree.
Clerk of the course Graeme Anderson said: “It’s pretty much all or nothing now for the title, Willie Mullins seems to be in control.
“We’re hoping he’ll be coming to Ayr, it really adds to the racing and definitely adds to the occasion, we’re really looking forward to it.
“Paul Nicholls has always been a big supporter of this meeting and then obviously with the win on Saturday, Willie Mullins has come on the scene.
“He hasn’t had a lot of runners at Ayr in the past so it’ll be good to see a good few of his.”