Championship battle hots up on Thursday

The race to be crowned this season's champion jumps trainer in Britain continues apace on Thursday with both Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins saddling multiple runners.

Mullins, who is looking to become the first Irish-based trainer to claim the British title since the legendary Vincent O'Brien in the 1950s, is doubly represented on the second day of Perth's three-day fixture.

French recruit Townshend has let down favourite-backers on each of his two starts for the Closutton maestro to date at Fairyhouse and Kempton. Connections will be hoping he can bounce back in the opening Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer Novices' Hurdle.

Later in the afternoon, Mullins runs Tennis Cap in the more valuable Lindsays Handicap Chase.

Run for the Kilmany Challenge Cup, the two-and-a-half-mile contest carries a total prize fund of 25,000 pounds and Tennis Cap appears to have solid claims judged on a recent victory over hurdles at Cork.

The horses Mullins had entered at Warwick have not been declared.

Nicholls is not represented in Scotland, but saddles 10 runners across the two cards at Exeter and Warwick.

Boa Island is the Ditcheat challenger in the opening Racing UK In Glorious HD Novices' Hurdle, but he will need to raise his game after pulling up on his hurdling debut at the track in November.

Present Man makes his debut over fences in the Helen Tellam 50th Birthday Novices' Handicap Chase, while Black Corton and Whipchord form a twin assault on the Wild Beer Co Maiden Hurdle.

The Exeter team is made up by dual point-to-point winner Bill And Barn, who is of obvious interest on his first start under Rules in the Goffs Spring Sales P2P Bumper.

The nine-times champion also sends five horses to Warwick, with El Bandit getting the show on the road in the second division of the Close Brothers Maiden Hurdle.

Easter Day and The Eaglehaslanded both go in the Close Brothers Finance Handicap Hurdle, and Brio Conti kicks off his career in the bumper.

The key race on the card, however, is the Close Brothers Novices' Limited Handicap Chase.

Nicholls' runner Stilletto only made it as far as the third fence in the Brown Advisory And Merriebelle Stable Plate at last month's Cheltenham Festival, but had previously impressed at Leicester and is a likely candidate to claim the 15,640 pounds first prize if he safely negotiates the obstacles in this two-mile heat.