As the Cheltenham Festival rolls around again, most trainers across the United Kingdom and Ireland will be dreaming of landing a winner at Prestbury Park across the four days. However, for Willie Mullins one or even two triumphs simply wouldn’t be enough.
It’s fair to say that Mullins’ yard has been a cut above the rest for the last decade or so, and the fact that he was won seven of the last 10 Leading Trainer awards at the Festival is further evidence of that.
After his seven victories last year, the Irishman now has 72 winners to his name, which is more than anyone else at the Festival. Credit must also be given to Nicky Henderson, however.
The Englishman, who boasts an impressive 68 winners at Cheltenham, was once the leading training in the all-time winners leaderboard, but he has since conceded that lead to Mullins and it looks like his Irish counterpart is only going to pull further and further away from Henderson.
Mullins’ modern-day dominance is clear in the latest Cheltenham 2021 odds. Horses from the 64-year-old’s top-class stables lead the betting in half of the 28 ante-post markets, including in nine of the 14 Grade 1 races. It truly is amazing that one yard can dominate in such fashion.
It wasn’t until the final race of day two that Mullins landed his first winner last year, but something similar occurring this year is hard to imagine. In fact, Appreciate It is expected to get the Irishman off to the perfect start in the opening race, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Concertista (Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle) and Saint Sam (Juvenile Handicap Hurdle) could help supply Mullins with at least three winners on the opening day.
On the second day, we could potentially see even more winners from Mullins’ yard. Monkfish, Chacun Pour Soi and Sir Gerhard are the favourites in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, the Queen Mother Champion Hurdle and the Champion Bumper respectively, whilst Gaillard Du Mesnil and Koshari are hot on the heels of the market leaders in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and the Handicap Hurdle.
A win for Chacun Pour Soi could be a monumental moment for Mullins. Despite all his success, the Champion Chase is one that continues to get away from the Irishman.
Jockey Ruby Walsh, who knows the trainer more than anyone having been his number one jockey for years, has claimed that the nine-year-old must deliver in the day two feature race.
“He’s a very, very good horse,” Walsh told Paddy Power’s From The Horse’s Mouth podcast recent. “But he just has to go and deliver on the biggest stage to be considered a brilliant horse. He’s done it at Leopardstown, but he has to go do it at Cheltenham.”
On day three, several of Mullins’ horses dominate the Ryanair Chase market with Allaho the favourite at 5/1, just ahead of his stablemates Kemboy, Melon and Min, who are all 6/1 shots. Hook Up is also in with a shout in the penultimate race, the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.
Of course, All the attention from the final day of the Festival will be on Al Boum Photo in the Gold Cup. The nine-year-old is gunning for a third successive victory in the showpiece race, and the Gold Cup odds are firmly in his favour.
Speaking on another edition of From The Horse’s Mouth, Walsh claimed that this year’s race could suit him more than last year’s, and for that reason he could be hard to beat.
“Looking at the make-up of this year’s race with Frodon and Native River, it could suit him more,” the Irish jockey said. “He could be hard to beat and could potentially join illustrious company and become a triple Gold Cup winner. That’s a hell of a training performance, and from horse and the rider. I hope he does it.”
Mullins sets the bar incredibly high, but this current contingent of horses is arguably one of the best he has ever sent to the Cheltenham Festival. It’s credit to his incredible work, and it already seems inevitable that he is going to take home yet another Top Trainer award come Friday afternoon.
