Willie Mullins tipped to rinse the bookies with 5-2 double on historic day at Sandown

BOOKIES fear Willie Mullins will wipe them out with this 5-2 double on a historic day at Sandown.

Mullins is on the brink of becoming the first Irishman to win the jumps trainers’ title in 70 years.

PAWillie Mullins and No1 jockey Paul Townend could run riot on the Sandown card[/caption]

The Closutton boss has left Dan Skelton in second and Paul Nicholls in third – with bookies already paying out on Mullins taking the crown when the season officially ends on Saturday.

But the layers fear one final pounding from Mullins courtesy of a double that’s right at the top of punters’ lists.

El Fabiolo is 8-11 for the Grade 1 Celebration Chase where he will go head-to-head with Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon.

The Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned chaser will have to bounce back from his shock 1-5 flop in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

But punters reckon he will and are busy teaming him up with former Ballymore winner Impaire Et Passe.

He runs in the double green silks of the same owners and is evens to land the Grade 2 bet365 Select Hurdle.

Impaire Et Passe was runner-up to State Man in the Champion Hurdle and was last seen landing the Aintree Hurdle by a nose from Bob Olinger in a three-way photo alongside Langer Dan.

Dan Skelton’s dual Coral Cup winner reopposes but punters are sticking with Paul Townend’s mount to handle the drop down in class.

Brian O’Keeffe, spokesperson for BoyleSports, said: “To be breaking records on both sides of the Irish Sea is an incredible achievement by Willie Mullins and punters will be celebrating with him if he makes history at Sandown and empties the bookies’ coffers yet again.”

Mullins has won the three of the biggest prizes in British racing this year – the Champion Hurdle, Gold Cup and Grand National.

He also plundered the Scottish Grand National last week with Macdermott – before being brought back down to earth by an unknown jockey at Perth on Wednesday.

But despite being 1-100 to win the title, Mullins is taking nothing for granted.

And, discussing when he first thought the championship was a serious possibility, Mullins said: “We had been looking at it a few weeks before the Grand National and I said if we are lucky enough to win it then we would be in with a shout.

“We therefore entered a bigger team than normal for Aintree and it turned out well with, I think, four Grade Ones and the Grand National.

“I then said to the team this is a once in a lifetime chance – I wasn’t born when Vincent won it (O’Brien in the 1953-54 season) – and we will throw everything at it.

“We might get a taste for it and this whets the appetite.

“We had a way better time at Ayr than I thought, which was unbelievable and has made this week easier.

“But as we saw the other night with Manchester United and Coventry, you can’t count your chickens – you just have to go through and keep playing.

“Hopefully it will work out on Saturday for us.”

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