Skelton fears champion trainer title dream has gone

DAN SKELTON has all but conceded defeat in the race to be crowned Britain’s champion trainer ahead of the conclusion of the season at Sandown tomorrow. The Alcester handler appeared to be in the box seat after a fantastic four strikes at the Cheltenham Festival last month saw him go ahead of his former boss and mentor Paul Nicholls, and he remains in front of the 14- times champion. However, Skelton was knocked off top spot after Willie Mullins saddled I Am Maximus to win the Grand National at Aintree and following a four- timer at Ayr seven days later, including the Scottish National success of Macdermott, the master of Closutton now appears almost certain to become the first Irish- based trainer to land the British title since Vincent O’Brien did so twice in the 1950s.

Following yesterday’s treble at Warwick courtesy of Take No Chances ( 13- 8 favourite), Ace Of Spades ( 9- 4 favourite) and Jafimgoso ( 7- 1), and with the likes of Langer Dan, Nube Negra and Le Milos part of his final day team, Skelton is still mathematically in with a shout of being top dog – but in his mind, he has already been beaten.

“As regards the trainers’ championship, to be quite honest with you, it’s over!” he said. “I can’t beat Willie, it would require our horses to win nearly every race they’re entered in on Saturday and him to have no prize- money at all. I can’t concede, because conceding means you walk off the pitch and we’re not walking off the pitch, we’re going to go down there Saturday, hopefully we’ve got some lovely chances and it’s great to run some nice horses.

“The reality of beating Willie is, it’s not reality, I’m afraid, but it’s been an absolute pleasure to have contested it.”

Skelton was keen to pay tribute to Mullins and his team, adding: “I think we have been beaten by somebody who is doing so well at the moment and all of the aces landed up for him. He’s won the Champion Hurdle, the Gold Cup and the Grand National all in the same year and when he needed to, he won the Scottish National by a head, so it feels like sometimes it’s meant to be.

“It’s been a pleasure and those two trainers [ Mullins and Nicholls] will be no prouder than I am of my team – horses, owners, staff – it’s been a remarkable year.

“Hopefully we can get through £ 3 million in prize- money. That’s only ever been done once by Nicky [ Henderson] and six times by Paul before.”