We look at where the National Hunt Trainers' Championship will be won and lost

We look at where the National Hunt Trainers' Championship will be won and lost as reigning champion Paul Nicholls and Irish maestro Willie Mullins do battle this week.

With so much prize-money on offer at Sandown Park this weekend, the enthralling battle for the 2015/16 National Hunt Trainers' Championship looks sure to go down to the wire.

Reigning champion Paul Nicholls took up the running in the title race at Ayr on Saturday and perennial Irish champ Willie Mullins will be doing all he can to claw back to the top of the table before the music stops.

Here we look at where both trainers will be represented for the rest of the week.

Paul Nicholls' midweek team

Current total: £2, 288, 836 (before racing on Monday)

Paul Nicholls had a slightly frustrating afternoon at Newton Abbot on Monday, with Amanto and Dormello Mo both unable to justify favouritism and only adding fractions to the pot, but he'll be hoping to at least strike once as he fires three bullets at Kempton's Tuesday card.

Recticel Insulation Perfect Finish Handicap Chase contender Port Melon is "badly treated" according to the trainer but he's only 6lb higher than for his last run in a handicap chase, when he won by two lengths over this course back in November.

Chartbreaker holds an obvious chance in the Protan, Ahead Of The Rest Handicap Hurdle and Polisky is also sure to be among the favourites as he bids to follow up his Ascot victory in the EGR Naturally The Best Open Hunters' Chase.

Nicholls surprisingly has just the one runner at Ludlow on Tuesday - newcomer Coup De Pinceau in the Ladies Day On 8th May Intermediate Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Nicholls and stable jockey Sam Twiston-Davies confirmed at the weekend that they'll be happy to leave Willie Mullins to try and do battle with the likes of Gordon Elliott and Nigel Twiston-Davies at Perth's biggest meeting of the year this week, while attempting to mop up as much prize-money as possible at the more local tracks, including Taunton and Exeter.

However, Alcala has been given the option of a trip north of the border in Wednesday's British Stallions Future Champions EBF "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle.

Alcala would be reappearing just four days after his decent effort in second at Ayr on Saturday but with £11,261 for the winner, there's surely a chance connections could be tempted. He would, however, in all likelihood come up against at least one runner representing Mullins, who has four engaged including Up For Review - in the same Graham Wylie silks as Alcala.

On the same afternoon, Nicholls has six entries at Taunton, though five of them appear in the same Bathwick Tyres Yeovil Novices' Hurdle.

Perhaps the most interesting of the sextet is four-year-old Tommy Silver, not seen since finishing seventh of 15 when 25/1 for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.

He was previously a really easy winner in Listed company on soft ground at Musselburgh in February and may well head here, rather than wait for a possible weekend assignment in a juvenile hurdle at Sandown.

Team Nicholls have an extremely busy afternoon in prospect on Thursday, split between Warwick and Exeter.

Nicholls has enjoyed 11 winners from just 35 runners at the former track over the past five seasons and will be very hopeful of enhancing that 31% strike rate.

El Bandit looks a very likely type and certainly of ore interesting than fellow Close Brothers Maiden Hurdle entrant Boa Island, while the dangerously well-treated Easter Day and recent Cheltenham winner The Eagleshaslanded are obviously of interest in the Close Brothers Finance Handicap Hurdle.

Stilletto was strongly fancied by some shrewd judges at the Festival before falling early on and although he's now crashed out in two of his last three starts, there's obviously a feeling among those closest to the horse that he's perfectly well handicapped.

He's almost certain to run here in the Close Brothers Novices' Limited Handicap Chase, rather than take up his alternative engagement in a seriously hot race at the Punchestown Festival next week and a short price beckons.

Nicholls was on target with a couple of bumper winners at Wincanton on Sunday and Brio Conti, representing The Gi Gi Syndicate who were two from two with Vivaldi Collonges and Gibbes Bay at Ayr over the weekend, is a fascinating newcomer for the Close Brothers Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Nicholls' sole representative in Exeter's Goffs Spring Sales P2P Bumper is Bill And Barn, representing Potensis Bloodstock Limited, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the son of Presenting prove a warm order.

Earlier on the card Emerging Talent might be asked to complete a quick-fire hat-trick in the Racing UK In Glorious HD Novices' Hurdle, while Whipcord and Boa Island are other possibles.

Present Man will surely come good at some stage soon and Nicholls switches him to fences for the Helen Tellam 50th Birthday Novices' Handicap Chase pays dividends.

There isn't much cash up for grabs in the Wild Beer Co Maiden Hurdle but it's a race the champion trainer clearly fancies landing, having put in Amanto, Black Corton and Whipcord.

All eyes on Chepstow on the penultimate day, where Whipcord's fourth and final option is in the concluding Braceys "The Friendly Builders Merchant" "National Hunt" Maiden Hurdle Race and he could be joined by Exeter third Whispering Storm and French recruit Black Corton, who was a bit too keen for his own good on his UK debut at Wincanton. He'll be much wiser for the experience.

Simon Squirrell heads a potential four-pronged attack, along with Rainy City, Amanto and El Bandit, on the Evan And Megan Brace Memorial Novices' Hurdle to kick off the card, while Ruben Cotter and The Brock Again will need to put disappointing runs behind them if they're to play leading roles in the Dunraven Windows Handicap Chase.

Estimated earnings: circa £40,000

Paul Nicholls' Saturday team

Nicholls has an extremely strong squad of horses assembled for the final assault at Sandown on Saturday and things could get off to the brightest of starts in the opening Bet365 Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, where there is in excess of £31,000 to the winner and almost £10,000 to the runner-up.

Frodon, Tommy Silver and Zubayr are the three in the shake-up at the five-day stage and the last named didn't have a hard race when bolting up at Wincanton on Sunday.

Life get much tougher from that point on and although numerically Nicholls is well represented in the Bet365 Oaksey Chase, the likes of Art Mauresque, Dodging Bullets, Rocky Creek, Saphir Du Rheu and Wonderful Charm may just be playing for the place money on offer should Vautour take up his option to run.

The Nicholls battalions, including Ptit Zig, Silsol and Southfield Vic, face a similarly daunting task when taking on Mullins' mare Vroum Vroum Mag in the Bet365 Select Hurdle, while Dodging Bullets is unlikely to be good enough to beat both Sprinter Sacre and Un De Sceaux, should all three be declared for the (reopened) Bet365 Celebration Chase.

Hopes will understandably be higher for As De Mee, Calipto, Dormello Mo and Some Buckle go for the Bet365 Josh Gifford Novices' Handicap Chase.

The Bet365 Handicap Hurdle, which brings the meeting and the season to a close, is worth a healthy £18,768 to the winner and Qualando and San Benedeto look likely players from Nicholls' seven entries, but the title race could be won and lost in the feature handicap of the day, the Bet365 Gold Cup Chase, with a whopping £84,405 to the victor and close to £32,000 for the second.

Nicholls took up the running on Saturday thanks in large to Vicente's Scottish Grand National triumph and he appears to have primed another one of his staying chasers - namely Southfield Theatre - for a crack at Saturday's big prize.

The eight-year-old was a good novice last term, winning three of his first four over the larger obstacles before finishing second to Don Poli in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham.

It hasn't gone so smoothly this season but he's been eased in the weights as a result and appeared to be making some decent headway before being brought down at Cheltenham last month. Failing to complete there means the assessor has left him alone and it could turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

Nicholls could also saddle Pacha Du Polder, Rocky Creek, Wonderful Charm and last year's winner Just A Par, but there's no mistaking where the main hopes lie.

Estimated earnings: circa £134,453

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Willie Mullins' midweek team

Current total: £2,243,456 (before racing on Monday)

Willie Mullins could send a relatively sizeable team to Perth with some good prize-money up for grabs in Scotland this week.

He has four potential runners in the British Stallions Future Champions EBF 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle on Wednesday, which has a total purse of over £17,000, with Up For Review potentially heading the quartet.

He was pulled up in the Albert Bartlett but looked smart earlier in the season and it would be no surprise were he to bounce back to winning form.

Burgas, Nambour and Stone Hard could join him in the line-up.

On the second day of the meeting Townshend could battle for the £3,889 winners' cheque in the Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer Novices' Hurdle.

He missed the cut for the County Hurdle and then disappointed over 2m5f at Kempton, but a return to two miles looks in his favour should he take his chance.

Later on the card Tarabiyn could bid to plunder some of the £11,000+ prize-money on offer in the Lonmar Global Risks Handicap Hurdle, though he does have to put some disappointing recent efforts behind him if he's to get in the money.

Tennis Cap will arrive in Scotland in much better form following a win at Cork on his most recent start and £15,640 is on offer to the winner in the Lindsays Handicap Chase.

Two and a half miles looks his trip and with ground conditions also likely to suit he's going to be tough to keep out of the frame.

On the final day of the meeting Mullins has a couple of chances to plunder some Scottish pound notes with Miss Me Now aiming to bounce back from her Fairyhouse flop in the Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer Mare's 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle.

There's over £5,000 worth to fight for in that contest and then over £13,000 is up for grabs in the McCarthy & Stone Chase, in which Rolly Baby could bid to supplement his recent Navan win.

He's a late starter to the chasing game being 11 years old, but he's certainly got the required stamina for this test and could end Mullins' Scottish raid on a high note.

If Rolly Baby and Miss Me Now don't turn up in Scotland they could end up at Warwick and Taunton respectively, with the former having the option of a £15,000 to-the-winner race in the Midlands.

That's the Close Brothers Novices' Limited Handicap Chase and £25,000 of prize-money is there to fight for, with Mullins' McKinley also engaged in the two-mile contest.

Estimated earnings: circa £20,000

Willie Mullins' Saturday team

Of those entered around the UK in the week, Rolly Baby, McKinley, Burgas, Townshend and Nambour all have options at Sandown on Saturday, too, but this day is all about Mullins' big guns.

The name of Vautour among the entries for the Bet365 Oaksey Chase is a statement of intent from the Irish champion trainer and he could bid for the £28,475 top prize over the extended 2m6f.

Mullins has several other options for the race, with Ballycasey, Sir Des Champs, Valseur Lido and Vroum Vroum Mag all possibles for the contest.

The card kicks off with the Bet365 Juvenile Handicap Hurdle and Mullins has just one option for this race, Voix Du Reve, who fell at the last when bang in contention for the Fred Winter at Cheltenham last month.

The Bet365 Celebration Chase has been reopened but Un De Sceaux is expected to be among the entries fighting for the £71,188 first prize, although his Champion Chase conqueror Sprinter Sacre could prove to be a formidable opponent.

However, the Railway Fences look sure to suit the bold-jumping Un De Sceaux and he could well reverse Cheltenham form at this track if he's got enough left in the tank turning for home.

That will be a key race, but if either Nicholls or Mullins is holding aloft the Bet365 Gold Cup at 4.30pm then the £84,405 first prize could well bring this bun fight to a swift conclusion.

Mullins has three contenders for the big prize - Measureofmydreams, Pleasant Company and Sir Des Champs - with the first-named favoured by the bookmakers.

He ran a good race when third in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but comes in here on the back of an early fall in the Scottish Grand National last weekend.

Pleasant Company was pulled up in the four-miler and has it to do to reverse form with Measureofmydreams on their Navan run too, while Sir Des Champs comes in here after unseating Nina Carberry at The Chair in the Crabbie's Grand National.

Mullins is well-represented after the Bet365 Gold Cup as well, with Vroum Vroum Mag among a quartet from Closutton in the Bet365 Select Hurdle, where £28,475 will go to the winner.

After that the aforementioned Rolly Baby could go in the Bet365 Josh Gifford Novices' Handicap Chase where a prize fund of over £29,000 is up for grabs, while eight of Mullins' are entered in the final race of the season - the Bet365 Handicap Hurdle.

The title may have been won or lost by then, but if Arbre De Vie, Bellow Mome, Burgas, Childrens List, Isleofopendreams, McKinley, Nambour or Townshend land the £18,768 winners' prize, it could be enough to blow Nicholls out of the water.

Estimated earnings: circa £140,000

Nicholls v Mullins - Summary

Paul Nicholls' estimated final total: £2,463,289

Willie Mullins' estimated final total: £2,383,456

Looking at our predicted totals, this title race really could be nip and tuck all the way, with a swing either way in Saturday's feature races bound to have a major impact. It's possibly a little unfair on some of the other trainers to presume Nicholls and Mullins will completely dominate the final day of the season but it's clear the two heavyweights of Britain and Ireland are not packing any punches and the horses will certainly be finely tuned to perform at their very best. Mullins holds the aces in the Graded races and Vautour winging his way around in the Bet365 Oaksey Chase could be a sight to behold. But Nicholls continues to pull rabbits out of the hat in the biggest of handicaps and victory for one of his runners in the Bet365 Gold Cup Chase could be enough and the well-treated Southfield Theatre rates a very solid market leader.