THE jumps season sometimes ends with more of a whimper than a bang, but this year looks like being very different.

Not only is there a potentially stellar Punchestown Festival just around the corner, the head-to-head between Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins in the British trainers’ championship promises to light up the final day of that contest at Sandown today. There was also a thrilling Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr last week, which saw Vicente strike a blow for the staying novice chasers.