Analysing the Race for British Trainers’ Championship

As the National Hunt season builds towards its thrilling climax, the battle for the British Trainers’ Championship is intensifying.

With the major spring festivals—most notably Cheltenham and the Grand National—on the horizon, the leading contenders are primed to stake their claims for the coveted title.

These prestigious meetings not only offer the chance to secure high-profile victories on the grandest stages, but also the chance to bank significant prize money that can be the difference in the championship race.

As things begin to heat up in today’s horse racing tips, we assess the key contenders, their strengths, and the pivotal moments that could shape the final standings. With every valuable race carrying huge implications, the coming months promise to be a fascinating tussle for supremacy.

Dan Skelton

Currently leading the title race at this stage for the second season in a row, Dan Skelton recently passed the £2 million mark for total prize money this campaign.

At the time of writing, the Warwickshire-based trainer has 132 wins and 315 places from 677 runners, operating off a respectable strike rate of 20%.

Skelton, whose brother Harry is also a key part of the operation as the stable jockey, has won multiple high-quality races this season—including the Challow Novices’ Hurdle and the Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at the top level.

Scarred by how last season ended, as he was pipped to the title late on in the campaign, Skelton won’t be resting on his laurels until the final day at Sandown in April.

Paul Nicholls

14-time British Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls has had to take a back seat and watch the apprentice become the master in the last couple of years, as Skelton was once his assistant at Ditcheat but now rules the roost.

The four-time Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning handler is almost a whopping £700,000 off the pace currently being set by Skelton, with 64 wins and 154 places in 315 runs, but isn’t in bad form with a strike rate of 21% at the time of writing.

Nicholls is yet to win a Grade 1 race this campaign but has won two Grade 2s with Rubaud in the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton and Pic D’Orhy in the 1965 Chase at Ascot.

It’s looking unlikely that the 62-year-old will close the gap on Skelton at this stage, and he could fall further adrift ahead of the big meetings.

Nicky Henderson

It’s been five years since Nicky Henderson was crowned Champion Trainer for a sixth time at the end of the 2019/20 season. However, with an incredibly strong squad for the Festival, the veteran could throw his hat in the ring.

Henderson was left devastated last year when a virus swept through his Seven Barrows yard, wiping out his main contenders from the 2024 Cheltenham Festival—including Constitution Hill, Jonbon, and Sir Gino, who were short prices for their respective contests.

He has those horses, and others like Lulamba, in red-hot form going into the spring meetings and could rack up millions in prize money if they are to win the likes of the Arkle, Champion Hurdle, and Queen Mother Champion Chase before potentially heading to Aintree.

Henderson doesn’t field runners as often as he used to, but he has over 50 winners this season and secured £1,164,738 in prize money at the time of writing.

Of course, as we saw last year, the standings could change drastically in the spring. Willie Mullins became the first Irish trainer to win the title in over 70 years when he charged up the leaderboard thanks to multiple Cheltenham winners and a Grand National success.

The master of Closutton isn’t going to give up his title that easily.