Willie Mullins' top ten Cheltenham Festival 2025 contenders

Race: Brown Advisory Novices' Chase.

Overview: Scored three times at Grade One level as a novice hurdler last season, which included a stunning performance at the Cheltenham Festival. Looked a potential star over fences when successful on his chasing debut and while he was no match for Sir Gino at Kempton next time out, he relished the step back up in trip when landing the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at the DRF. This talented seven-year-old could have even more to offer over three miles, and has always been held in high regard by the Willie Mullins team.

Trainer comments: I am pleased with how he came out on his last race, very pleased. And I think it would take a bit from Paul to get off him. He needs to settle a little bit now, but I think that experience was good for him. We'll be settling him at home here, but I think with the size of the Cheltenham fences and everything, I hope it will be fine.

Race: Ryanair Chase or Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Overview: Finished second in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper in 2023 and was sent straight over fences the following season where he created a big impression with three impressive victories. Oozed class when winning the Brown Advisory at last year's Cheltenham Festival, and looked set to develop into a leading Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup contender this season after winning the John Durkan. Has been put in his place by Galopin Des Champs on his past two starts, though, and those efforts would suggest the Ryanair Chase (which he's a best-priced 6-4 for) may be the most suitable option.

Trainer comments: He’s a very good jumper and maybe we could make more use of his jumping, but they’re all things that have to be worked out and we'll look at other opportunities for him. The Ryanair hasn’t been touched on since the race. I'm not sure the tactics the other day showed him in the best light.

Race: Turners Novices' Hurdle.

Overview: Won his sole point-to-point and quickly made a big impression under rules by effortlessly landing a maiden hurdle at Limerick on his first start for Willie Mullins. He again impressed when claiming Grade One glory at the Dublin Racing Festival and is ante-post favourite for the Turners Novices' Hurdle. Willie and Patrick Mullins have been quite vocal about his chances in recent weeks, and this ultra-exciting prospect is likely to prove hard to beat at the Cheltenham Festival.

Trainer comments: He has only had two runs and I think 2m5f on that track in Cheltenham in the Turners will suit him. He looks a real chaser and must be about 17’2hh - he is built as strong as any horse I've had. He is probably more like Florida Pearl as he's just so strong through the body whereas Galopin Des Champs is more evenly balanced through the body. He is a big unit. We go novice chasing next year.

Race: BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase or Ryanair Chase.

Overview: Has his quirks, but there's no doubting he is a high-class performer, and he showcased his talents in style in the Guinness Faugheen Novice Chase and the My Pension Expert Arkle last season. Things haven't quite gone to plan this season, and he stayed on having looked set to be well beaten to finish third in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase (2m1f) when last seen. Willie Mullins is now considering the Ryanair Chase over the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase, and Gaelic Warrior is available at a similar price (6-1) for both contests. 

Trainer comments: I was just disappointed with Gaelic Warrior on Sunday (at the Dublin Racing Festival), disappointed in the overall context but I thought he looked to be going so average about the fifth last and it looked to everyone like Paul might pull him up.

Paul actually said the same to me that he was going to pull him up and then he just seemed to get his second wind and stayed on well, so the Ryanair comes into the equation now after that.

It could just be a bit too fast going down the back side for him (at Leopardstown), but I’m just wondering has he some other issue, which I’m trying to look into at the moment. I’ve a few things I want to look into and I want to check him before I say any more.

Race: Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Overview: One of the all-time greats? It is hard to argue against that now, and the dual Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup winner is surely going to take all the beating when he bids for a third win in Jump racing's blue riband contest. He looked better than ever in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup and the Savills Chase on his past two starts suggests, and will no doubt scare a few potential rivals away in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup. It is hard to find any negatives for him, which his ante-post odds of 1-2 suggests. He may go off even shorter should Willie Mullins fire in multiple winners ahead of day four.

Trainer comments: For me his performance the other day in the Irish Gold Cup was very good, although I thought Christmas was better. At Leopardstown, Paul got to the front and then he very steadily, I think, just slowed it down. We're not worried if someone wants to take him on, that's fine.

Paul can ride him anywhere he wants and he has complete faith in the horse - as he always said to me this horse gallops and jumps.

In his first Gold Cup, I wouldn't let him do that. I wanted him held up and I didn't want them to get him into a race because at that time he was very free and he was keen but he learned a lot from that and now he's very malleable for the want of a better word - you can put him anywhere in a race and he settles. Paul is able to ride him wherever he wants.

The Gold Cup is five weeks on Friday and I’d really love another week. He has got tremendous owners, Greg and Audrey Turley, and, you know, they really appreciate it and they're living it and enjoying it. I mean, to us, here, it's unbelievable that we have a horse that's going for a third Gold Cup win and could be in in the Best Mate and Arkle category.

It's a huge honour to be just involved with a horse like this and we just hope the dream keeps stays alive. We've got as I said five plus weeks for that that day to come. If, you think it's going to happen if probably won't, so I'm going to the opposite direction, you know! I'm just living the dream every morning I get up. 

I think of my father when he was training Dawn Run and the defending champion Gaye Brief got injured ahead of the Champion Hurdle. Now, when I'm in his position - every morning I wake up and hope I don't get a bad report about any of the horses and I'm also not wishing bad luck on my competitors, because I know what it’s like. 

It's a once-in-a-in-a-lifetime job, isn't it? I mean, Arkle, Best Mate, hopefully this horse, if he can do that. You know, there were many years between the first two - 1966 to 2004 - so maybe we’re a generation too soon.

Hurricane Fly to us would be very hard to beat and if we ever have one as good as again, I'd be delighted. Galopin Des Champs is is a tremendous horse and you know, he has his own piece of history already, but hopefully there'll be more to come.

Race: Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

Overview: Closutton's next superstar? Willie Mullins was rather complimentary following his win in the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival, and it is no surprise to see him odds-on for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle. Three from three under rules, it is hard to know just how good this youngster is, and the vibes from his connections suggest he is going to prove extremely hard to beat in the Cheltenham Festival opener.

Trainer comments: After what he did the other day, Ted Walsh rang me the following morning and said he hasn't seen a performance like that since Golden Cygnet, which is huge for someone like Ted to say.

Paul (Townend) got down off the horse after the race and said he ran away with him three times in the race. Most normal horses if they run away with a jockey once, that's enough, a winning chance gone.

It was a huge performance. We would never ask a horse that question at home. It blew my mind what he did at Leopardstown against a field of of top-class horses.

Race: Unibet Champion Hurdle or Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle.

Overview: A hugely talented mare who won the 2023 JCB Triumph Hurdle and  cruised to success in last year's Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle. The six-year-old was the Unibet Champion Hurdle favourite after her stylish win in the Bar One Racing Hatton's Grace Hurdle on her return and didn't appear at her best behind Constitution Hill at Kempton on Boxing Day. A heavy fall at the Dublin Racing Festival was not the ideal prep for the Cheltenham Festival, but the Unibet Champion Hurdle remains the plan, and that has been her target for some time, according to connections.

Trainer comments: It was going to be a hell of a race, I think with and at Leopardstown [in the Irish Champion Hurdle]. I don't know what happened to Lossiemouth. There was a flock of seagulls that just took off and maybe that took her eye off because she just pricked her ears straight before the hurdle and then just didn't get up. It was if she was looking at something ahead of her and she just didn't get up high enough.

Thankfully she's good after the race and Danny (Mullins) is good - he was just winded. She was traveling well and when you look at her pedigree, she is bred to, be a mile a quarter horse on the Flat.

I think we've been training her to steady her up not to make her go faster. I'd say in a Flat race, she'd beat them all, so she would. I imagine Paul, who has never hidden his admiration for State Man will ride him in the Champion Hurdle, and obviously a lot will happen with the bits of work we do between now and then, see we’ll see how both horses are.

We're going for the Champion Hurdle with Lossiemouth. We we've been training her for this for two years and I don't think my owner [Rich Ricci] has ever said 'Let's think about it'.

I can't see Paul on anything that has happened up to now getting off State Man. State Man only does what he has to do, he only beats a horse by a length a length and a half. He's never flashy.

Race: My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase.

Overview: Willie Mullins hinted last season that Majborough could be his next superstar, and that the youngster was always going to develop into a better chaser, despite winning the JCB Triumph Hurdle last season. Majborough's chasing debut success was a joy to watch, and while he did not always treat his fences with maximum respect en route to Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase last time out, it certainly didn't stop his momentum, and he easily defeated a high-class field. The absence of Sir Gino in the Arkle has boosted his chances even further, and he looks a banker on day one.

Trainer comments: He goes for the Arkle. He’s only five and looks a magnificent horse in the making – he does things so naturally. He is a Triumph Hurdle winner and they tend to improve and get further with age.

Race: Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle.

Overview: By Walk In The Park out of a half-sister to Faugheen, she certainly has an eye-catching pedigree, and her two victories hint that she is a potential star. Her victory at Punchestown in January is worth upgrading as she overcame a 378-day absence there, and travelled powerfully throughout. She should have loads more to offer and is vying for favouritism at a general 100-30 for the Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle, a race which Willie Mullins has won five times in the past nine years.

Trainer comments: She put in a huge performance the other day, her first run over hurdles. We thought should we be going for a bumper with her instead?

And then, when we just reflected on how natural she was to jump to all her schooling, we just said 'Here, take the bull by the horns' and go for a maiden hurdle and that's why she's here now. She’ll go for the mares’ novices’ hurdle. It will be a big ask but she’s a brilliant jumper.

Race: Unibet Champion Hurdle.

Overview: 11-time Grade One winner who justified short odds to win last year's Unibet Champion Hurdle, and has proved ultra consistent at the highest level in two-mile hurdles over the past four seasons. Suffered two shock defeats at the start of this season behind Brighterdaysahead, but cruised to victory (after Lossiemouth fell) in the Irish Champion Hurdle, and will no doubt have his each-way supporters in the day two showpiece. 

Trainer comments: See Lossiemouth comments.