Dan Skelton compares final day battle with Willie Mullins to 'facing the executioner'

Dan Skelton appeared to have accepted his fate in the gripping 2024-25 British trainers’ championship battle with on Thursday. Skelton, who has yet to win the crown, has led the title race for most of the campaign and will go into Saturday’s bet365 Jumps Finale day at Sandown still holding a small prize-money advantage over his Irish rival.

Yet such is the firepower at Mullins's disposal that he has made 21 declarations for the meeting, including 10, half the field, in the bet365 Gold Cup, while Skelton has declared nine, a mismatch that bookmakers believe make victory for 1-12 chance Mullins inevitable..

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Skelton, who has trained 175 winners and earned more than £3.3 million in prize-money this season, added to his score at Warwick and has more chances on Friday before the weekend.

Yet after a win at Warwick, he spoke about the challenge to RacingTV, saying: “It was inevitable. I knew it was coming. I knew it was coming since Aintree. We’ve tried our best to extend the lead the best we can. He’s always just kept us in check by running a few horses in the bigger races where he can place them.

“I think there is an air of inevitability about it unfortunately on Saturday, but I’ve enjoyed the last three weeks immensely. I wouldn’t change it for the . If we get beat, we get beat. I’ve learned a lot about myself, my staff, my owners. They’ve been absolutely phenomenal.”

He continued: “We’ve never been champion trainer. I’ve worked for one, I knew what it was like. I’ve never done it myself, my team have never done it, my owners have never done it. They’ve got as much desire as I have and I love to see that.

“The support we’ve had around the tracks has been phenomenal. I wouldn’t change it for a moment. I knew what was coming. I’m not surprised what’s there. It’s going to be hard to resist. I hope, now they’ve changed the schedule, that I can keep the ball in the air long enough for it to have been worthwhile to be honest with you.

“We’ll go down there, I’ll have a smile on my face. It might feel like you are walking out there to face the executioner. We won’t give up. Maybe I’m not destined to win it. Who knows? I’ll keep trying.”

Skelton, who has trained 175 winners and earned more than £3.3 million in prize-money, has more chances to increase his lead on Friday before the weekend.

He said: “I set out at the start of the season to win as close to £3.4m as we can. If we can do that it means even Willie’s got to raise his game. We have done that and he has raised his game so you can only say ‘Well done’."