With just four weeks remaining until the highly anticipated Cheltenham Festival, Willie Mullins, the event's all-time leading trainer, is meticulously assembling his formidable battalion of runners once again. Despite having a slower beginning to the season by his own exceptional standards, Mullins trails his main rival, Gordon Elliott, in the Irish trainers' championship. However, this setback is not causing him any sleepless nights as he focuses intensely on adding to his impressive tally of 113 Cheltenham Festival winners next month.
Confidence Amidst Challenges
"I'm happy enough," Mullins stated. "I've been further forward in other years. A few of the horses haven't sparked yet, but I think I'll have them right by the time we get to Cheltenham." He expressed fascination with the public's expectations, noting, "People say to me 'how many this year, Willie?' People expect us to have Cheltenham winners, but we go there hoping to have one. To win a feature race – a Gold Cup or Champion Hurdle – puts a whole different aspect on the week." Mullins dismissed notions of pressure lightly, remarking, "People say pressure is for tires, but that's a load of bollocks!"
While pressure is inescapable in such a high-stakes environment, Mullins possesses a roster of horses well-suited for the occasion. It would be a major surprise if he does not emerge from Cheltenham triumphant once more, given his proven track record and strategic expertise.
Detailed Horse Analysis and Prospects
Mighty Park
Skybet Supreme Novices' Hurdle/Turners Novices' Hurdle: "To me from day one, I always thought he was good enough to win the Champion Bumper, but JP [McManus] wanted to run him in a maiden hurdle," Mullins explained. "When Mark [Walsh] got off him, he said he had a look around at the second last and couldn't believe how far in front he was, going what he thought was a normal pace. His cruising speed must be huge, and he's a fantastic jumper, so I'm thinking that puts him right in the mix. Your gut tells you that he has to be a hell of a horse, to do what he did. He won by 38 lengths – you're into Faugheen type territory when you do that – and those things don't happen very often."
Kopek Des Bordes
Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy: "Do many horses line-up in the Arkle after only one run? Very few, I'd say," Mullins noted. "He worked very well recently; I put him in against other good horses, and he went two miles, over four fences, at racing speed. The further and faster he jumped, the better he looked."
Lossiemouth
Unibet Champion Hurdle/Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle: "She was disappointing the other day. I'm not sure she would cut the mustard [in the Champion Hurdle] if she went there in that sort of form," Mullins admitted. "It's a very open Champion Hurdle; I'll have a good word with Rich Ricci and see what he thinks. A lot will depend on how the mare is herself."
Anzadam
Unibet Champion Hurdle: "I've tried a couple of things, and I've got one or two more to try that might make him more competitive," Mullins revealed. "As the season has worked out, I've been disappointed with him, but I haven't given up hope yet."
King Rasko Grey
Turners Novices' Hurdle/Skybet Supreme Novices' Hurdle: "He was third behind two good horses [Talk The Talk and Ballyfad] at Leopardstown. To me, they are the top two in Ireland, and I think he has every chance of improving more than them condition-wise," Mullins assessed. "He should have enough speed for the Supreme, and I think the experience he had last time will be a huge help. Your first thought would be the Turners though."
Final Demand
Brown Advisory Novices' Chase: "We were all underwhelmed at Christmas. I was hoping there was going to be more in the tank, but obviously there wasn't," Mullins confessed. "My first thought was whether it was the ground, but he looks like the type of horse that it should suit. Then I thought was it the way we were training him at home – we're putting a lot of thought into that, and we're changing a few things. We think he has the ability, but we just have to get that spark back."
Majborough
BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase: "I feel I'm training him how I've always trained him, and I'm always happy enough with his jumping," Mullins said. "It's more about getting him right, and he's come right. Mark [Walsh] is happy with him as well."
Il Etait Temps
BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase/Ryanair Chase: "He has an entry in the Ryanair, but I would say he'll stay over two miles," Mullins indicated. "I'm not sure the tactics were right last time at Ascot. He was alright after the fall, and he seems to have a bit of spark in him now, which he didn't have last time."
Love Sign D'aunou
Weatherbys Champion Bumper: "It was a huge performance in Naas. I always love horses that can win at the bigger tracks at this time of the year by more than 10 lengths," Mullins praised. "That was a deep enough race too, and she hammered them. What I loved about it was she never really showed me that at home."
Bambino Fever
Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle: "There will be improvement from her run in Naas. She won easily in Fairyhouse last time," Mullins observed. "We know she stays the trip, goes on the ground and track, so there are a lot of positives."
Fact To File
Ryanair Chase/Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (needs supplementing): "It's not like JP is an ordinary owner; he has so many horses he can run in the Gold Cup with a live chance, Spillane's Tower being one, and still keep Fact To File in the Ryanair," Mullins explained. "We haven't really spoken about it. I won't train him any differently; I'll just get him ready for Cheltenham."
Gaelic Warrior
Ryanair Chase/Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup: "He's in good form. He had a hard race at Christmas and last time too," Mullins noted. "He's a horse that always runs well at Cheltenham. The way he ran his race last time, I thought it was an ideal run for the Ryanair, but he could also go to the Gold Cup."
Narciso Has
JCB Triumph Hurdle: "He's a beautiful big horse that gallops and jumps. What he has compared to Majborough, who would be a similar type of long, narrow horse, he has strength," Mullins described. "He's got strength that you don't see in too many four-year-olds. He loves jumping, and he looks a really good horse that is still improving."
Doctor Steinberg
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle/Turners' Novices Hurdle: "We always thought he was a good ground summer horse. He has really surprised me that he's come along and is doing what he is doing at this stage of his career," Mullins admitted. "I was watching him win the other day and was thinking Turners, but everyone else is saying Albert Bartlett. Looking at the way he pulled through the race, I don't think you can do that over three miles at Cheltenham. I will leave it up to Paul [Townend]. He rode him from the front the other day, but he could ride him differently in the Bartlett – you could cover him up and get him to settle. If he tells me he can get him to settle, we might run him in the three-miler."
Galopin Des Champs
Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup: "He's in great order. He had a very hard run at Christmas, which I didn't like for his first run, but we had to do it," Mullins revealed. "He had a nice race the other day [Irish Gold Cup], but I just felt his run at Christmas had a bit of an impact on his finishing position there. I thought he ran a great race, right from the start, whereas last year it took him three or four fences to warm up. As he gets older, I think he probably needs softer ground, so that would be a big help to him. Cheekpieces are a possibility too. I think he's still of an age where he's competitive, and he still has the ability. It would be fantastic if he could win it again."
