It was a nine months to remember for the Skelton team, as Dan Skelton scooped the British Championship Trainer title for 2025/26, overtaking the prolific Willie Mullins, after a sensational week at Aintree in the final weeks. Indeed, it was record-breaking after Skelton became the first trainer to win at every jumps track in a season.
👏 Huge congratulations to Dan Skelton and his team!
A remarkable achievement to saddle a winner at every UK track throughout the 2025-26 season!
Heltenham provides the Perth success, to complete the set ✅ https://t.co/yDk0VpdSqs pic.twitter.com/itHF8CuTNy
— Sporting Life Racing (@SportingLife) April 22, 2026
Mullins was heavily tipped to retain his title from last year after some superb performances; including a third consecutive Grand National triumph and a second for I Am Maximus, plus a win in the Cheltenham Gold Cup with heavy favourite Gaelic Warrior.
Meanwhile, Sean Bowen made it back-to-back British Championship Jockey titles, having largely dominated throughout the year with 241 wins, despite no major victories of particular note. His consistency in the sport though, is a testament to the jockey’s discipline.
Early Season Momentum
November was essentially a demonstration of how the rest of the season may go, with Skelton and fellow British trainer, Paul Nicholls setting the tone with numerous wins.
By the time the meeting at Kempton on Boxing Day rolled around, there were several contenders for the King George VI in what turned out to be arguably one of the best races in the last few years.
As the last fence was cleared, there were still at least four who could have won it, though it was Ben Jones on the Ben Pauling-trained, Harry Redknapp-owned, (The) Jukebox Man at 7/1 who pipped Banbridge and Gaelic Warrior by a nose, with Jango Baie crossing the line a split second later in fourth.
Coming into the season, there was a lot of hope and expectation for Pauling’s yard, which has a lot of promising horses and, while there are many encouraging signs for next season, it was only The Jukebox Man who delivered, while he was also well-backed for the Gold Cup.
Cheltenham Festival Provides Entertainment Galore
Going into what is considered by many as the highlight of the British horse racing calendar, there was a lot of anticipation and intrigue, with many different stories.
While Gaelic Warrior as 11/4 joint-favourite delivered, all eyes had previously been on another Mullins horse earlier in the week, with Lossiemouth showing her class in the Champion Hurdle as 7/5 favourite, dominating the field for Paul Townend, winning by over six lengths as the horse made it her fourth consecutive win at the festival.
In the Queen Mother Chase, Il Etait Temps at 5/2 survived a scare at the fifth fence and stormed home to win by 10 lengths, after three previously unsuccessful attempts. The most emotional story of the week though was in the Stayers’ Hurdle when 11-year-old Home By The Lee, in his fifth attempt and at 33/1 became the joint-oldest winner in the race for trainer Joseph O’Brien.
Grand National Festival Swings It For Skelton
After a dominant display for Mullins at Cheltenham, there was an expectation that the momentum would carry through into Aintree for Mullins, though Skelton had other ideas.
Racking up multiple Grade 1 victories, including Bossman Jack in the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle, with brother Harry aboard as well as the William Hill Handicap Chase; Skelton again riding Mr Hope Street to victory, these were just a couple of the highlights.
Meanwhile, the Maghull Novices’ Chase witnessed a Skelton 1-3 with Tristan Durrell riding Mirabad to victory, while stablemate, Be Aware came in third.
In the ‘big race’, it came as no surprise to those really in the know that I Am Maximus won yet again for Mullins, handing him his third successive victory in the Grand National, with the horse adding to his 2024 win, with Townend aboard.