With finals day taking place at Sandown Park on Saturday, the thrilling finish to see who will be claimed champion trainer is going to the wire with the gap between Dan Skelton and Willie Mullins very slim.

Champion trainer Mullins descended on Plumpton on Sunday with four runners in the feature race of the day the Sussex Champion Hurdle.

Aiming to reduce the deficit between himself and Skelton, the Irishman took a sizeable chunk out of his rivals lead after Absurde led home a Mullins one-two.

The seven-year-old outclassed the field in spectacular fashion, winning by four-and-a-quarter lengths from stablemate Daddy Long Legs.

Winning jockey Harry Cobden has now registered two wins from three runners for the Irish trainer after following up his Scottish National success last week.

"I'm two from three for Willie now, I'll take that," Cobden said. "I should probably quit while I'm ahead. Paul [Nicholls] had one in the race with a very light weight, which I'd struggle to do, so he let me off him to ride this lad. It's great, we all work together and I've got a good agent in Sam Stronge. He sorts the job out, I just turn up and ride them.

"The plan was to jump in and get him settled as he's had a tendency to be keen in the past. They went nice and fast early, so I didn't have any problems there and he jumped brilliantly. When you're on a horse with so much class it's almost easy. He's got so many options, you'd have a lot of fun owning him."

Jockey Gavin Sheehan hit the 100 winners mark this season for the first time when favourite Overabottleofred won at Huntingdon on Saturday.

The jockey said: "I got 91 last year and knew the 100 was in range but I didn't think about it until after Cheltenham. It's brilliant and hopefully it'll be onwards and upwards next season as Jamie Snowden is getting bigger. When I first came over from Ireland in 2011, I didn't think I'd even get to 100 as a career total, so to do it in a season is incredible."

Overabottleofred initiated a treble for Sheehan, who landed the 2m handicap hurdle on the Emma Lavelle-trained Indemnity and the 2m bumper on Wondering Why for Richard Bandey.

Tony Carroll, Billy Loughnane and Jack Doughty claimed the All-Weather Champion Trainer, All-Weather Champion Jockey and All-Weather Champion Apprentice titles for the first time following the conclusion of the season on Good Friday, April 18.

Loughnane took the honour of being crowned All Weather Champion Jockey after fending off the challenge of Hector Crouch by four winners to end the season with 75 winners.

Carroll, AW expert comfortably took the award for top trainer with 57 wins. Eleven more than his nearest challenger James Owen.

Up and coming apprentice Jack Doughty has been receiving plenty of plaudits during the season with his efforts rewarded by claiming the AW Champion Apprentice Jockey award by riding 32 winners. Five more than Sean Dylan Bowen.

Champion National Hunt jockey elect Sean Bowen will be crowned champion jockey at Sandown on Saturday, and is ending the season in style after bringing up a five- timer at Ffos Las on Thursday.

By Peter Moore