WILLIE MULLINS has launched an all-out assault on British racing – after declaring an army of horses for Sandown in his quest to be crowned top trainer.
El Fabiolo is the headline act from the nine horses the genius Irish trainer has confirmed will run in the jumps season finale on Saturday.
The former Champion Chase hero will take on Jonbon in a simply blockbuster bet365 Celebration Chase worth just shy of £100,000 to the winner.
Bookies have already paid out on Mullins beating Dan Skelton and Paul Nicholls to the champion trainer crown.
Mullins is currently £188,678 ahead of Skelton, despite having 92 fewer winners over the course of the season.
But the Closutton boss doesn’t do things by half and has a hugely strong squad heading to Surrey.
Also among them are Sir Gerhard and Impaire Et Passe in the bet365 Select Hurdle.
While in the bet365 Gold Cup itself Minella Cocooner, Nick Rockett and Aime Desjy will lead the line with We’llhavewan a reserve.
Mullins has four reserves declared – but those guaranteed a run promise to be near the head of the markets in all their races.
Paul Townend – who suffered a rare blank from Mullins’ four runners at Perth on Thursday and was turned over by an unknown jockey having her first ever winner – will ride Easy Game in the Grade 2 Oaksey Chase at 2.25pm.
Then it’s the blistering head-to-head between El Fabiolo and Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon at 3pm.
Minella Cocooner and Nick Rockett are near the top of the weights for the feature Gold Cup while Aime Desjy is a bit lower down.
The Select Hurdle at 4.10pm looks a rip-roaring contest with Dan Skelton’s Coral Cup winner Langer Dan going up against Mullins’ former Ballymore winners Impaire Et Passe and Sir Gerhard.
Mullins did declare two for the handicap chase at 4.45 but they have not made the cut.
He does have a few in the last though, including talking horse Sa Majeste, who was sent off 5-1 second-fav for the Coral Cup won by Langer Dan last month.
It’s worth bearing in mind that despite this strong squad coming over Mullins is saving his real big guns for next week’s Punchestown Festival.
We’ll see the likes of Galopin Des Champs, Ballyburn and Lossiemouth all in action at the finale of the Irish jumps season.
And it just goes to show the frightening strength in depth Mullins has at his Closutton base.
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