Baby helps Mullins bid Willie Mullins struck back in the race to be crowned this season's champion National Hunt trainer in Britain as Rolly Baby ran out a comprehensive winner of the McCarthy & Stone Chase at Perth. Having already among the winners at the Scottish track this week, Mullins started the penultimate day of the season 53,556 pounds behind reigning champion Paul Nicholls. Rolly Baby was a 2-1 shot for his assignment, having opened his account over fences in good style at Navan in February. Paul Townend positioned the lightly-raced 11-year-old in behind the pacesetting Uhlan Bute for much of the two-and-a-half-mile event before taking over in the home straight and he had enough in reserve after the final fence to score by eight lengths. The victory earned Mullins 9,097 pounds, reducing the deficit 44,459 pounds. With no more runners to come on Friday, the Closutton maestro will kick off what promises to be an enthralling afternoon at Sandown on Saturday with prize-money of 2,275,660 pounds. Nicholls has four runners at Chepstow later on Friday evening.
