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1st January 2026
01:45pm GMT
This weeks episode of The Paddock podcast saw a heated debate over who will win the 2025/26 Trainer’s Championship: Willie Mullins or the current favourite Dan Skelton.
Rishi Persad and Tom Stanley had polar opposite views on the outcome, with Rishi predicting current favourite Skelton to take the crown, while Tom strongly feels Mullins will still come out on top.
The Champion Trainer is awarded to the trainer whose horses have won the most prize money throughout the season, with Mullins winning the previous two years.
Skelton is currently way ahead of the chasing pack, with over £2m, and is the massive favourite to pick up the crown in April 2026, while Mullins is currently 28 places behind.
On this week's The Paddock podcast, Rishi, Tom and Oli Bell were joined by special guest Kia Joorabchian, football super agent and a prominent figure in horse racing through his syndicate, Amo Racing.
Listen to The Paddock podcast below, and read the cases for Skelton and Mullins to win the Trainer’s Championship.
The Paddock is a show hosted by Oli Bell, with weekly episodes with the best tips, news, talking points and special guests from the world of horse racing. Catch The Paddock on YouTube, or listen on podcast - wherever you get your podcasts.
"Skelton is going to win the Trainer’s Championship unless Mullins has the most incredible season. Mullins has to win the Grand National, and all of those other races again.
"Not only does he have to win it, and he has to clean up to win the Trainer’s. Skelton’s stable is stronger than it’s ever been. The difference between Skelton and Mullins was a couple hundred grand last year, you're telling me he's not going to be a couple hundred grand better this year?
"Every year he is getting better, and his stable is stronger than it has ever been."
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"Willie Mullins will win the Trainer’s championship. Who else is going to win the Grand National? He’s the only one with those types of horses. And he’s going to target it earlier this year!
"I honestly think he’ll win it. I get that it all hinges on the £1m Grand National, but he is the person that is going to farm that race for the foreseeable future. Because Grangclare West, Nick Rockett and I Am Maximus will likely fill three of the first six places this year. It's a race for those types of horses.
"I know who I want to win it, it would be great, and Dan deserves to win it."
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