In the lull between the Cheltenham Festival and the Aintree Grand National, the race for the British Championship hit the headlines. Having narrowly lost out in each of the past two seasons, record-breaking Dan Skelton is surely now on the cusp of claiming the title for the first time.
If Willie Mullins is to have any chance of reeling Skelton in once again, he will need a repeat of last season’s Aintree Grand National triumph. There was positive news on that front, with the defending champion Nick Rockett successfully qualifying for this year’s edition. Elsewhere, the sport united in wishing the popular chaser Royal Pagaille a happy retirement.
Dan Skelton: The £4 million Man
| Positon | Trainer | Winnings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dan Skelton | £4.02m |
| 2 | Nicky Henderson | £2.10m |
| 3 | Willie Mullins | £1.93m |
| 4 | Paul Nicholls | £1.79m |
| 5 | Olly Murphy | £1.63m |
The 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons were a tale of so near and yet so far for Dan Skelton and his bid to become British champion trainer. Having led the race for much of the season, the Wiltshire handler found himself overtaken in the final furlong by the irresistible force that is Willie Mullins.
Heading into the 2025 Aintree Grand National Festival with a lead of over £1.3 million, many were ready to hand Skelton the title. Back came Mullins with five Grade 1 wins, a Topham Chase success, and an incredible 1-2-3-5-7 in the Grand National itself. Skelton’s lead was all but wiped out in the space of three days on Merseyside, as Mullins went on to claim the title for the second year in succession.
With that heartbreak fresh in the memory, Skelton has left no stone unturned in his 2025/26 prize-money pursuit. While behind his 2024/25 pace in October, he roared into top gear in November with wins in the Betfair Chase, Paddy Power Gold Cup, and Coral Gold Cup. He has barely taken his foot off the gas since.
Forging clear at the head of the standings, Skelton’s latest landmark moment came at Kelso on Saturday, 21 March. In winning the BetWright Novices’ Handicap Chase, Diamond Dealer provided Skelton with his 168th winner of the season. More significantly, the £20,812 in prize money saw Skelton become the first National Hunt trainer in history to win £4 million in prize money in a single season. Now over £2 million ahead of Mullins in the standings, it will take a remarkable sequence of events to deny Skelton this time.
Rockett Qualifies in the Nick of Time
While a third British trainer’s championship may elude Mullins, he has a better chance of becoming only the second trainer to win three successive Grand Nationals. Following the success of I Am Maximus (2024) and Nick Rockett (2025), Mullins bids to join the great Vincent O’Brien, who landed his hat-trick with Early Mist (1953), Royal Tan (1954), and Quare Times (1955).
In Grangeclare West and I Am Maximus, Mullins is responsible for the top two in the 2026 betting. However, it was beginning to look as though the reigning champion might miss out. One of the stipulations of the Grand National is that a horse must have appeared at least once over fences in the current season to take part, with the cut-off date in 2026 set at 24 March. That was becoming a problem for Nick Rockett, who, following early-season setbacks, had not been seen at the track since his Aintree heroics 12 months ago.
With the clock counting down, the Bluegrass Racehorse Cube Chase at Down Royal on 17 March represented one of the final suitable contests for Nick Rockett to get himself qualified to defend his crown. Happily, he made it to the track this time. A lack of race fitness and a 7lb penalty contributed to a low-key third of four finish but, having blown away the cobwebs, much better will be expected back at the scene of his finest hour.
Royal Pagaille
Finally, the racing career of one of the most likeable staying chasers of recent years has drawn to a happy conclusion. Best known for his almost unmatched ability to plough through the Haydock mud, Royal Pagaille heads into retirement at 12 years of age.
Joining the Venetia Williams yard from France in 2020, and carrying the instantly recognisable Rich Ricci silks, Royal Pagaille did connections proud during seven British seasons. Winning six of his 23 starts for Williams, he appeared in four Cheltenham Gold Cups, a King George, an Aintree Grand National, and an Irish Grand National, but truly shone on Merseyside.
The son of Blue Bresil entered the Haydock winners’ enclosure in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, with the big highlights seeing him land the Grade 1 Betfair Chase in 2023 and 2024.
While many National Hunt stars make it safely to retirement, that sadly isn’t always the case – as so tragically illustrated by the loss of Envoi Allen in recent weeks. As such, Royal Pagaille’s retirement is cause for celebration among fans and those close to the horse. Outlining the next steps for her departing star, Williams stated:
“He’s got a lovely home organised for him, where he will be hunting in Dorset and will be going there next week. Horses like him aren’t easy to find, and he’s been amazing.”
