Paul Nicholls retained his champion British jumps trainer title after saddling the second and the fourth in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown on Saturday.

Nicholls had begun the day over £50,000 in front of Willie Mullins but there was almost £500,000 on offer on the Sandown card.

Placed efforts in the opening races by the Mullins-trained Voix Du Reve and Valseur Lido saw the gap close to around £44,000 but Mullins' fate was sealed when his star two-mile chaser Un De Sceaux blundered his chance away in the Celebration Chase which was won emphatically by the Nicky Henderson-trained Sprinter Sacre.

Heading into the bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase, bookmakers rated Nicholls 1/8 to retain his title as Mullins needed a huge run from either Measureofmydreams or Sir Des Champs.

Neither of those Gigginstown House Stud chasers could make an impression and Nicholls sealed the title when taking second and fourth places respectively with Just A Par and Southfield Theatre.

Winner of the race a year ago, Just A Par was denied in a photo-finish this time around by The Young Master, trained by Neil Mulholland and ridden by amateur Sam Waley-Cohen.

TEAM EFFORT

A beaming Nicholls said: "It's great for the whole team, everybody involved - it's not about me. It's a big team effort, always has been, always will be.

"It's been a tough season for lots of reasons, we had a bit of a flat spot and all sorts of gossip and rumours that things weren't right, but you have to dig deep and keep going.

"We've just kept trying to win as many races as we can. If you get in a position to do so, then great."

"It's been brilliant. I thought we had no chance after Aintree and I knew Willie would dig deep and keep finding plenty to run and we needed a few miracles. Vicente in the Scottish National last week gave us a big day and the others have been running well.

"When Kauto Star and Master Minded were winning, you'd win the trainers' championship by Christmas. Those horses carry you and possibly it doesn't have that much interest then, but the interest from the public and racing people in this has been good.

"There's been a lot of pressure for all of us, but hopefully it's been good for racing to get more interest in it.

"Willie is a fantastic trainer with fantastic horses, I have huge respect for him."

Waving the white flag, Mullins then withdrew Vroum Vroum Mag from the next race, wisely diverting her to Punchestown next week where the Stayers' Hurdle is there for the taking following news today that Thistlecrack is a non-runner.

Nicholls crowned the day by winning that race with Ptit Zig, while there was some small consolation for the Mullins camp when McKinley landed the closing handicap hurdle in the colours of Gigginstown House Stud, the champion owners in Britain for the season.

SPRINTER THE STAR

The Nicholls-Mullins battle aside, the real star of the day at Sandown was Sprinter Sacre.

The 10-year-old's rehabilitation took on another level with a display of brilliance in the bet365 Celebration Chase.

When he could finish only second in the corresponding race 12 months ago there were calls for his retirement, but in what has been one of the greatest training performances of Nicky Henderson's career he has been brought back to something approaching his incredible best of three years ago.

Sent off the 11-10 favourite to confirm his superiority over Champion Chase runner-up Un De Sceaux, his task was made easier by the several jolting errors his main market rival made.

As Sire De Grugy looked to hassle Un De Sceaux all the way, the latter's jumping fell apart, but all the while Nico de Boinville crept closer on Sprinter Sacre.

Yet another blunder at the Pond fence by Un De Sceaux handed Sprinter Sacre the initiative and he just pulled further clear up the hill to win by 15 lengths from Willie Mullins' Un De Sceaux with Dodging Bullets third for Paul Nicholls.

De Boinville said: "It was wonderful today, we got a lovely tow into the race, he was nice and settled.

"We knew he was very fresh and well, his schooling was unbelievable. We always do what is right by him but he told us he wanted to run today.

"The guv'nor has worked miracles to get him back.

"The triumph, the turmoil has been unbelievable."

Henderson said: "That was why we had to run, he loves doing this, if you look at that you can see why we have to do it.

"We have to enjoy him and he's enjoying himself, we've got to let him show what he can do.

"There were moments we thought it was all over but we were never under any pressure.

"It's been a long journey but this season has been amazing, he's great for the racing game, I hope, he's good for me but my old heart might not take much more of it."

Mullins said: "He lost a shoe but I'm not making excuses, he just didn't jump with his usual fluency."

AMAZING TREBLE

Menorah won the bet365 Oaksey Chase for the third successive year at Sandown under an inspired ride from newly-crowned champion jockey Richard Johnson.

The Willie Mullins-trained Valseur Lido was sent off an odds-on favourite to go one better than he did at Cheltenham behind Vautour, and everything looked to be going to plan for Bryan Cooper as he tracked Menorah into the straight.

It looked a matter of time before the seven-year-old would sprint past his 11-year-old rival, trained by Philip Hobbs, but Valseur Lido just got in a bit tight to the last fence.

Menorah landed with more momentum and despite Valseur Lido edging closer up the hill, Menorah was able to cling on by a length to win at 5-1.

Johnson, close to tears, said: "It's the best day of my career, being crowned champion jockey and having a horse like this to ride.

"It's the third year in a row he's won this race, the owners have been so good to me, it's fantastic.

"To have my family here today is the best thing ever, I've waited 20 years for today.

"The support I've had all season has been amazing, it's hard to describe it."

Hobbs said: "That was fantastic he seems better round here as he gets into a good rhythm and jumps fantastically well.

"He seems to be a different horse in this race, first of all he's fresh and he's not run for a long time with this race in mind.

"When he's fresh and well he's very good, he's not soft but he needs things to go his own way.

"He might even run again, there's a valuable race at Perth as he does not want soft ground and now he's 11 we may as well keep going with him."

Mullins said: "It looked like he might win between the last two, but he just got outstayed, although we think our fella is an out-and-out stayer.

"I was happy. He fiddled the last a little bit, but you are going to fiddle a few over fences. It would have been nice to win, but we didn't."

PARTY POOPER

Wolf Of Windlesham was the party pooper as the Stuart Edmunds-trained winner held off the late thrusts of Willie Mullins' Voix Du Reve and Paul Nicholls' Tommy Silver in the bet365 Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at Sandown.

With the narrative of the day concentrating on the battle between Nicholls and Mullins, the Josh Moore-ridden winner had obviously not read the script.

Moore had him on the outside of Tommy Silver throughout while David Mullins dropped Voix Du Reve out in the rear.

Wolf Of Windlesham jumped the last two flights well and stole two lengths and while Tommy Silver and the fast-finishing Mullins favourite made him battle, the 7-1 winner had half a length in hand at the line.

Moore said: "I'm delighted with the horse, he's been well trained, he won a Grade 2 earlier in the season and didn't like the ground when he went back in January so he's been saved for today.

"Stuart gave him a prep on the all-weather at Kempton where he won well and he's picked up a nice prize today."

Edmunds said: " He sank in the mud at Cheltenham so we gave him a sweetener on the Flat.

"We knew a stiff track would suit as he came up the hill at Cheltenham."

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