((( PAUL NICHOLLS vs WP MULLINS ))) for the British Trainers' Championship.

I see the Outlaw Paul Nicholls has his horses, guns and Dodging Bullets lined up for Saturday BUT someone needs to buy him a Stetson, so he can tip his hat to Willie's Vautour. The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral Chase at 3pm on Saturday could be another classic.

Nicholls pulled off a Coup De Pinceau to bag another £3,249 yesterday, and is All Set To Go this evening with his Beretta in the first two races at his local Taunton.

Meanwhile, Willie fires his first shots of the week - both in 3.15 at Perth today - Nambour BJ Cooper & Up For Review P Townend.

SATURDAY's Sprinter Sacre vs Un De Sceaux - The QM Champion Chase all over again - when SS won £199,325.00 for 1st and UDS won £74,795.00 (that 124,500 would have made a huge the difference). That little drop of rain forecast on Friday night will be welcome.

Don't think Nicholls has the fire power any more - going off to Barbados at a critical time mid-season is hardly someone deserving of a Champion Trainer title !

Willie £2,275,659.

THE SHOWDOWN AT SANDOWN.....It's the gunslinger Outlaw Nicholls vs Marshal Mullins.

YES, the shootout for the NH Trainers' Championship is set to go down to the very last day of the campaign. The Crookies have the Outlaw Nicholls @4/6 fav with the Marshal Mullins 11/8. Both throw almost everything at Sandown's Magnificent Seven race card in the hope of stealing the title.

This is how the valuable card could decide the title :-


2.20 B365 Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Class 2) Total prize fund £50,000 Winner's prize £31,280
Voix Du Reve's 5/2 last-flight fall in the Fred Winter when coming to challenge could prove one of the turning points of this battle, as it left Nicholls with a one-two for which he claimed just shy of £60,000. That horse is Mullins' sole entrant in this valuable juvenile handicap. Nicholls relies on JCB 7th: Tommy Silver 4/1.


2.55 B365 Oaksey Chase (Grade 2) Total prize fund £50,000 Winner's prize £28,475
Mullins has a winning hand in this race (even without Vautour) in the build-up to the most valuable race on the card with two entrants - Valseur Lido 5/6fav along with Ballycasey 16/1 for place money.
Nicholls has three long(er) shots (no Dodging Bullets) with Wonderful Charm 9/1, Saphir Du Rheu 12/1 (who stays Chasing and a little surprising not to see him given the option of returning to hurdles) & Rocky Creek 28/1 for place money.
Hobbs, whose quietly brilliant season has played out in the background of this battle, might up-stage(coach) the two rivals with Menorah 5/1.

3.35 bet365 Celebration Chase (Grade 1) Total prize fund £125,000 Winner's prize £71,187
The most spectacular race of the day is no doubt a re-run of The QM Champion Chase. It may only be the second most valuable prize on the card but it should be a classic dual between swashbuckling Nicky Hendos Sprinter Sacre 6/5 and Willies Un De Sceaux (6/4). All Nicholls can do in this is Dodging Bullets 16/1 in front of Sire De Grugy 14/1 for some place money with £13,375.00 for 3rd. Paul’s other two runners Solar Impulse 50’s and Ulck Du Lin 80’s should mop up the 5k for 5th & 6th.

4.10 bet365 Gold Cup (Grade 3) Total prize fund £150,000 Winner's prize £84,405
Staying chasers HAVE been so often Nicholls' trump card and in the most valuable race of the day he has arguably his strongest hand. Southfield Theatre 8/1 fav, while he also has last year's winner Just A Par 20/1.
Mullins' might surprise with Measureofmydreams 14/1 who exited in the Scottish equivalent and Sir Des Champs 25/1 was an early casualty in the Grand National.
The Young Master 9/1 Neil Mulholland with young Sam Waley-Cohen (3) is the fly in the ointment for CMiyc.

4.45 bet365 Select Hurdle (Listed) Total prize fund £50,000 Winner's prize £28,475
The edge here belongs to Mullins who has Vroum Vroum Mag 4/5 for his third winner of the day while Nicholls sweeps up the important? place money again with Ptit Zig 7/1 or Silsol 14/1. His San Benedeto 33/1 can only hope for 6th place money of the 7 runners.

5.20 bet365 Josh Gifford Novices' Handicap Chase (Class 2) Total prize fund £30,000 Winner's prize £18,768
Nicholls' three bullets - Calipto 5/1fav, Some Buckle 11/2 and As De Mee 9/1 - have fallen short of lofty expectations so far this season. His other entry, Dormello Mo, ran only 3rd at Newton Abbot on Monday while Kerry Lee’s Kylemore Lough entry is switched to win again, in Punchestown next week !!!
Rolly Baby was Wild Willie’s sole entry but already won that skirmish in Perth for Townend as suggested earlier.

5.55 bet365 Handicap Hurdle (Class 2) Total prize fund £30,000 Winner's prize £18,768
It coulda woulda shoulda all come down to this race and neither man seems to be taking any risks - although earlier place money for Nicholls may have already be vital in deciding the Trainers’ Title. Mullins had eight entries to Nicholls seven.
Bellow Mome 8/1 is Willie’s favourite gunslinger with Burgas 20/1 & Mckinley 25/1 for back-up, while the outlaw Nicholls shoots from the hip with 2nd fav Red Hanrahan 9/1, Qualando 14/1 , Alcala 16/1 & Chartbreaker a 33/1 shot.
Could HM The Queen have a Close Touch 33/1 after her 90th Birthday to spoil the party or perhaps JP’s Matorico (14’s with B/way) shoulda coulda willa lend a helping hand to Willie this time round ? Expect a nail biting finish as the two Champions sling it out for the final £30,000 available in this Wild West 2015-16 NH season.

©Cmiyc

Amazing that Marshall Mullins is even in with a chance of the Trainer's Title with only 26 winners...Shows his dominance of all the big races! The Outlaw Nicholls has 121 winners for the season so far! That's a big difference. Think IF UDS wins then it's curtains for Paul.

Congratulations to Richard Johnson Champion Jockey !

Cricket, this is a funny old game ! Perfect for Hobbs & Menorah and sets the stage for Champion Jockey presentation

Pure class from SS

Nice fly in the ointment ty