Seven days on from winning the Scottish National in a photo finish, Willie and Danny Mullins repeated the trick as Minella Cocooner was delivered right on the line to catch long-time leader Annual Invictus in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown.
Mullins had been confirmed as champion trainer just 30 minutes earlier when El Fabiolo finished second in the Celebration Chase, so it was perhaps inevitable that he would claim the last feature handicap of the jumps season.
Despite dominating at Cheltenham once more, it was not until the victory of I Am Maximus in the Grand National at Aintree that the title became a possibility and Macdermott’s win at Ayr last week put Mullins within touching distance.
With the pressure off, Danny Mullins crept into contention on the 17-2 chance but Annual Invictus did not give up without a fight.
Two from home there were still plenty in with chances, but it only concerned Minella Cocooner and Annual Invictus at the last and it was the Mullins’ runner who came out on top in a tight finish.
The runner-up lost very little in defeat for Chris Gordon, with Mullins’ Nick Rockett and Paul Townend back in third.
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