Reigning British champion Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton are sending strong squads for the BetGoodwin Easter Festival on Sunday, April 20 and Monday, April 21.

The two-day fixture offers £450,000 in prize money across 14 races, providing potential for a significant impact as the British championship reaches its conclusion later this month.

Mullins closed the deficit on Skelton dramatically at Aintree’s Grand National Festival and Ayr’s Scottish National Festival. Skelton hit back this week, however, by taking the feature Grade 2 handicap chase at Cheltenham.

Sussex Champion Hurdle

Reigning Irish and British champion Mullins has four of the 11 runners in the £75,000 BetGoodwin Sussex Champion Hurdle on Sunday, with Skelton responsible for two runners in the field.

Mullins will also have King Alexander and Mr Escobar in the £30,000 Phoenix Cycles Remember Ray Prior Handicap Hurdle later on the Sunday card, with Mostly Sunny set to represent Skelton.

The English hander will have a total of nine runners at the Easter Sunday meeting as he attempts to hold off the Mullins challenge.

Bank Holiday Monday

The Bank Holiday feature at the track is the £100,00 BetGoodwin Sussex Champion Chase with Mullins set to have four runners to Skelton’s one.

The Closutton handler will also have runners in the £45,000 Southern Cranes Novices’ Handicap Hurdle, and in the £23,000 BetGoodwin Free Bet On Nose Losers Open NH Flat Race, while Skelton will have a strong team of 12 runners on Monday.

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