The 2021 Punchestown Festival: Your essential Willie Mullins stable tour

The Punchestown Festival gets underway on Tuesday, April 27, and one man who is set to have a strong battalion at the major horse racing festival of the Irish National Hunt Season is Willie Mullins.

Below, the serial Irish champion trainer has provided the inside track on some of his stable stars running across the five days where 40 races take centre stage, including 12 Grade One contests.

Don't forget, you will be able to watch every race live from the Punchestown Festival live on Racing TV.

Race: Ladbrokes Gold Cup.

Lots of people could say that Al Boum Photo’s run might have been good enough to win the last two Gold Cup’s and he just met two good horses on the day.

I’m not saying he’d have won the Gold Cup, but I thought he could have run better, maybe he didn’t fire as well as he has.

Certainly, the last five jumps weren’t as strong as they were last year. He has worked well in the meantime and I’m happy with him where he is at the moment.

Race: William Hill Champion Chase.

The William Hill Champion Chase could be a good race. At the moment I’m looking at the race for Allaho. I’d just like to see what he can do over two miles, he jumps so efficiently and so well, that is where my head is at the moment.

I love horses that jump as quick as him and if you can jump that quick usually you can come back in trip a bit. I think Allaho has the jumping technique to jump with two milers and he gallops well enough, we all saw that in Cheltenham.

It’s worth a craic I think, we’ve got to ask the question in Punchestown and then we will know where we want to go next year.

Race: eCOMM Merchant Solutions Champion Novice Hurdle.

Appreciate It has surprised me. I never dreamt he had that much speed, but he jumps, and he gallops as well. He probably takes a lot of speed out of horses with the cruising speed he has as well and will definitely go for the eCOMM Merchant Solutions Champion Novice Hurdle.

Race: eCOMM Merchant Solutions Champion Novice Hurdle.

Blue Lord is in there as well and he was going to run a fantastic race at Cheltenham before he fell at the last. I think he will improve for the flatter track and the nicer ground we will have at Punchestown.

Race: William Hill Champion Chase.

I just didn’t think we made enough use of Chacun Pour Soi (at Cheltenham). Maybe our tactics just let us down on the day. It is easy to be wise afterwards.

Race: William Hill Champion Chase.

I think this is the natural race for him. There will be plenty of pace on and Cilaos Emery will probably go there as well so we will be well represented in the race.

Race: Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase.

Colreevy has been covered by Walk In The Park and she will go for the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase. That will probably be her last run. The Flynns are out and out breeders and she is a fantastic looking mare and hopefully she’ll be lucky.

Race: Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup.

I’m finding it hard to find a race for Easy Game so he will probably take his chance in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup.

Race: eCOMM Merchant Solutions Champion Novice Hurdle.

Echoes In Rain is interesting. She will probably go for the mares' race but her performance in Fairyhouse was very good and she is in the eCOMM Merchant Solutions Champion Novice Hurdle on Tuesday getting a nice fillies’ allowance so we’ll see.”

Race: Ryanair Novice Chase.

Energumene had a little mishap before Cheltenham and I thought that was him for the season, but he recovered quickly. I was trying to get him ready for Fairyhouse and then I felt it wasn’t fair on the horse to go to Fairyhouse, so I said I’d wait for Punchestown and he’s been fine since so I’m looking forward to getting him out.

Race: Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase.

From winning the Arkle at Christmas over two miles I think I’m going to put Franco De Port in over three miles for and that will tell us where we are going next year. We’ll have a good hand in that race.

Race: Paddy Power Champion Hurdle.

James Du Berlais disappointed me at Cheltenham as his homework was way better than that. He holds entries in the two mile and the three-mile hurdles, so we’ll see when they do their final bits of work which direction they go.

Race: Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup

Kemboy will go for the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup again and he worked very well the other morning, I was very pleased with him.

Race: ITM – Supporting Irish Store Sales Champion Bumper.

I imagine Kilcruit will run, Sir Gerhard will run and we have a few more there. I think the track might suit Kilcruit better, so we’ll see. It’ll be different and worth watching anyway.

Race: Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase.

Monkfish didn’t jump with the same flair that he jumped (with previously) and he didn’t gallop with the same flair (at Cheltenham) but he’ll go for the three-mile race.

Race: ITM – Supporting Irish Store Sales Champion Bumper.

Ramillies is a horse whose homework is good. It might not be as good as the other two (Kilcruit and Sir Gerhard) but it is good, and I still think there is a good horse lurking in there somewhere and it has to come out.

Maybe a change of track and a flat track like Punchestown might bring it out in him.

Race: Paddy Power Champion Hurdle.

Sharjah ran a fantastic race in Cheltenham. I don’t think he could have improved much more. He’ll go for the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle.

I’ve got James Du Berlais, Klassical Dream and Saldier in that race as well and we’ll see what way they go.

Race: ITM – Supporting Irish Store Sales Champion Bumper.

See Kilcruit.