Willie Mullins 2024 Cheltenham Festival stable tour

Willie Mullins is just six winners away from creating history and recording his 100th Cheltenham Festival victory, and while the Cloustton handler has a yard full of top-quality of horses, Mullins admits he is taking nothing for granted as he prepares to send dozens of his squad to the big four days at Prestbury Park in March.

Speaking at a Cheltenham Festival media event organised by The Jockey Club at his Closutton base on Monday morning, Mullins discussed a range of different topics with around 30 journalists and broadcasters, who huddled around Mullins in front of his log fire in his living room to listen to some intriguing and revealing views from the hugely successful trainer.

“My theory in life is that if you’re not going up then you’re going down," Mullins explained. “We’re very lucky to have the team we have and I didn’t ever imagine having this many horses."

Mullins revealed some other interesting theories on how he tries to learn lessons from other sports, and how he adapts his approach, plus how the fear of failure drives him. His views are well worth a read:

“I think it’ll be probably 60-plus," Mullins said when asked how many horses he will be sending over to the Cheltenham Festival this year. Below, Mullins provides an update on the majority of them. Enjoy! 

Race: Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

He’s very ground dependent. He’ll want good ground. There’s every chance he could go, but he could stay at home. He’d be a player if he went, but it’s a tough two miles and we might be better off keeping our powder dry for Fairyhouse and Punchestown.

Race: Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase. 

I’m very happy with her and she produced an improved performance at Naas last time out. She will go for the Mares’ Chase. 

I wasn’t happy with her throughout the race last time out where she was held up. She wasn’t great over the first few fences, but the only thing is after they jumped the ditch fence, they met better ground, and she jumped the next three well. 

Paul (Townend) also said she never took a blow, which she had done on her two previous outings. The benefit of the new homework she’d been doing had kicked in.  

I have always had the highest regard for her, and I was disappointed last year when she got beat at Cheltenham. I thought she was one of our best chances at the Cheltenham Festival last year. 

Instead of Impervious to beat this year, she’ll have Dinoblue to beat, and I think she’ll enjoy stepping back up in trip. 

Race: Ryanair Chase.

I suppose he'll go for the Ryanair Chase. He’s not in the Gold Cup. He’s just been disappointing. He’s another one that I’ve had to change something to get his best performances out of which we’ll be doing. He’s just disappointing this year, hopefully we can get him back in time.

Race: Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle.

She goes for the Mares’ Hurdle. She did a nice job in Doncaster last time out and she’s improved nicely. I didn’t expect her to do that and improve that much. 

Race: Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle. 

Asian Master was very impressive last time out. He is two from two since joining us. I imagine he will probably take his chance in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, and he has every right to. 

I think he’s a slick hurdler, he’s shown a lot of ability. I looked at his pedigree before he came to me and I thought he’d be going down the Hunter Chase route, so he’s a bit of a revelation since he came here! 

He’s a horse that could go for any of those novice hurdles, but I’d say we’d let him take his chance in the Supreme. 

Race: Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle or Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle.

Ballyburn has been very impressive. He is in the Supreme and the Baring Bingham. With his pedigree, I’d be thinking Baring Bingham, but looking at his race record, I’d be thinking the Supreme.

I imagine his owners will be happy to go wherever we go. I’m going to leave that one open for the time being, I think. I’m not going to call it. His owners haven’t shown a preference and they’d be very happy to go wherever we go.

Race: JCB Triumph Hurdle. 

He’s a nice horse. He has a little bit to catch up on.

Race: --

I’m not sure Cheltenham would suit him. At the moment, he’s on the list, but I don’t think he’ll go. I think he needs way better ground.

Race: JCB Triumph Hurdle. 

He stayed on well in the soft ground at Leopardstown last time out. I was very taken with the way he stayed on.

He’s an ex flat horse who does know how to race, but jumping and racing are two different things. He is learning all the time, though.

Race: Ryanair Chase. 

He’s only in the Ryanair Chase, at the moment. He does have other options, though. He could go to Aintree, too. The possibility of supplementing for the Gold Cup has also been mentioned.

Race: Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.

We’ll take the two of them (Dancing City and High Class Hero) together, they look Albert Bartlett horses. I'm very happy the way both of them have gone through their respective seasons so far, High Class Hero especially. 

When he won his race in the Autumn, I just said to David (Casey) that I’ll just pick one race for him in the Spring as a prep for Cheltenham. I didn’t want to go to the Dublin Racing Festival, I didn’t want him to have a hard race. I wanted to pick something out in the country. He found that race in Thurles, which was good, and the horse came through his trial lovely. 

Dancing City had been disappointing me up to his last win where everything came right. Obviously, the step up in trip and nicer ground had been a big help to him. He now finds himself in the Albert Bartlett with a chance for Joe and Marie Donnelly, who have had a good season with State Man and Shishkin who are both going to the Cheltenham Festival as well. 

Race: Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase.

Dinoblue ran very well at the Dublin Racing Festival. I think the best bit of work she ever did was the week before Leopardstown and I thought if El Fabiolo misses a beat somewhere, this mare will be on top of him, but he didn’t miss a beat and was just so good. 

When I saw her work I thought he is going to have to be in some order to beat her and then he beat her the way he did. That’s the sort of work she was doing beforehand and I am hoping she will improve again as we get closer to Cheltenham. 

Two-and-a-half miles shouldn’t be any bother to her, based upon her pedigree, and I am just hoping that going that little bit slower will mean she is fine for the Mares’ Chase. 

Race: Unibet Champion Hurdle or Close Brother Mares’ Hurdle. 

I’d imagine she’ll go for the Mares’ race but, depending on how many runners are in the Champion Hurdle – it looks like there are only going to be five or six – she might take her chance in that race instead. 

Race: Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.

El Fabiolo was very good at the Dublin Racing Festival. He goes for the Queen Mother Champion Chase. 

Race: National Hunt Chase. 

At the moment, I would have to favour the National Hunt Chase. He’s also in the Brown Advisory but, again, that’s up for discussion. 

He’s in good shape and he’s come out of his win at Naas last time out in good order. 

Race: JCB Triumph Hurdle.

He needs another run to qualify for the Boodles, and it's getting tight to squeeze that in, so he might just go straight to the Triumph. I thought he finished very well at Leopardstown last time out. 

I asked Michael [O'Sullivan] to get him jumping and settled and see what he can do in the last half mile. With his Flat performances, he should be a leading contender for the Triumph Hurdle. Better ground in the spring will hopefully suit, too.

Race: My Pension Expert Arkle or Turners Novices' Chase.

He's been a disappointment. Paul (Townend) said to me he just felt Facile Vega is still not back to where he's been at his best. He's one of those horses that has been frustrating over the years, so I'm working on a different plan for him training-wise.

I don't know which race he'll be aimed at yet. On pedigree, he would run in the Brown Advisory or the Turners. But the Arkle is also an option. I'm going to see how his last few gallops ahead of Cheltenham are and that will probably tell us where we stand. I'm just doing a few of my own things differently with him. 

Race: Turners Novices' Chase or Brown Advisory Novices' Chase. 

Fact To File goes for the Turners or the Brown Advisory. His speed figures have been impressive. I was told that at Christmas, when he won his Beginner’s Chase, that his figures were huge. I’m not into speed, I’m just into what I see visually and what he does on the track. 

He then doubled down on that win when successful at Leopardstown in what was basically a one-horse race from halfway, but they were going some lick down the back straight, and he just kept jumping and galloping all the way to the line. 

Fact To File has done everything right and put in a huge trial for either race, but I’d be leaning towards the Brown Advisory. However, I’m just wondering of any horses in the same colours (Corbetts Cross) going in the same direction. 

Race: Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

She’s surprised me. Two runs, two wins, and she won very well both times. Jody Townend has been run away with her twice and still won. She’s a lovely mare. There is a mares’ bumper at Sandown, which is an option. I think the owners would like to go to the Cheltenham Festival, though, so she’ll take her chance, rightly or wrongly. 

Race: --

She was very good at Exeter the other day. She was keen and I’m not sure Cheltenham would be her ideal stop. We’ll have a think about it. She might just be too keen and it could be too lively for her. There might be easier options at home.

Race: Turners Novices' Chase.

Paul (Townend, rider of Gaelic Warrior) thought they were going some lick and that his fellow was just running at full speed at the Dublin Racing Festival. I didn’t see them going down to the start, but apparently Gaelic Warrior went very free down to the start. 

He was on edge in the parade ring and maybe just boiling over. That’s a thing we have to worry about. Going left-handed didn’t suit him but he did get agitated beforehand, and he just ran too free during the race. 

He was very disappointing but seems alright, just a little quiet in himself, but any horse would be, especially these good horses when they get beaten. A bit like boxers, they don’t like it and they get disappointed. We’ll try and get him right for the Turners, which is what we had in mind, and that’s why connections didn’t take a chance in running him in the two-mile race, especially if we were thinking Turners anyhow. 

We are where we are now and he still has all the options. We’ll see what happens.

Race: Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle. 

I suppose the Mares’ Hurdle will be her aim. She ran well in the Triumph Hurdle last year and she also ran well last time out. She’ll go to the Mares’ Hurdle with every chance, although she has a big task ahead of her. 

Race: Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup. 

He’s come out of the Irish Gold Cup very well. We’re very happy with him and he’s in great form. I think it’s going to be a tip-top Gold Cup this year. 

He’s enjoyed being ridden more prominently this season. We wanted him ridden off the pace for the past two years because he was too keen, but this season he’s a stronger horse and more mature now. 

Race: Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase.

She might run in the Mares’ Chase.

Race: Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.

See Dancing City's comments.

Race: My Pension Expert Arkle.

He's in the Arkle. It looks a little bit more open now (since Marine Nationale's defeat) and we'll have a think. A domestic Irish campaign might be more suitable for him.

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

I’d imagine he’s Arkle bound. Danny (Mullins) got on great with him at the Dublin Racing Festival, so I think that’ll be an easy enough decision to make (as to who will ride him at Cheltenham). 

Race: Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle. 

My preference all along has been the Baring Bingham. I’m very, very happy with him. I though he put up a tremendous performance in the Lawlor’s Of Naas last time out when he was beaten by Readin Tommy Wrong. 

He did all the donkey work that day and Daryl (Jacob) was very acute on the winner. The Baring Bingham will be a different race, though. Ile Atlantique is a very good horse. 

Some people have said he has a soft centre, but I think that’s harsh, especially considering all the donkey work he did at Naas, and then he was just pounced on by a very good horse. We’ll change tactics in the Baring Bingham. 

Race: Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle.

She's been very impressive. She'll go for the Mares' Novices' Hurdle. I'm just hoping she gets to Cheltenham in the same form that she's been in. She jumps well and there doesn't look to be any chinks in her armour. I'm very happy with how she is.

Race: Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

Jasmin De Vaux is the bumper horse and looks well. We’ll have a few bumper horses to join him as well in the Champion Bumper.. 

Race: JCB Triumph Hurdle.

Kargese was very good the last day where she settled well. I imagine the Triumph is the race for her. 

Race: Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle.

Lossiemouth hasn’t done anything wrong. I know a lot of people want her to go down the Champion Hurdle route, but I’m not even sure that we’d even go down that route even if there wasn’t the Mares’ Hurdle option.

In my lifetime, five-year-olds win that once every 20-25 years and that's usually a bad year. This doesn’t look like it’s going to be a bad year in the Champion Hurdle! Some very good five-year-olds go for it, the previous year’s Triumph winners, for example, and they just can’t lie up, and are physically not strong enough. 

She did everything right the other day at Cheltenham and maybe she’s stronger but she’ll have chance for the next few years to have a go at the Champion Hurdle. 

Let us let State Man soften up Constitution Hull first and leave the door open for her!

Race: Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.

He was disappointing at the Dublin Racing Festival. He didn’t jump from the start and he is a good jumper, so I’m not sure what went wrong with him. He was just disappointing. Whether he goes for the Albert Bartlett or stays at home, I don’t know. 

Race: JCB Triumph Hurdle. 

He’ll definitely go for the Triumph Hurdle. He doesn’t have any other options. He ran a cracker in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle the other day. 

Every time I see him, I think Gold Cup, not Triumph Hurdle! He’s just a magnificent beast. I was surprised when he arrived from France to see what type of individual he was. He’s not a typical juvenile hurdler. Maybe he could be like Douvan and will not fully develop until he’s five. 

He’d be among the top couple of picks among my juveniles. I think he’ll improve a lot from his run at Leopardstown. 

Race: Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

Maughreen was very impressive at Punchestown. She's a mare that will improve the whole way to the Festival. 

Race: --

Danny (Mullins) couldn’t ride the race he wanted to at Navan last time out and he wasn’t wrong to go on the outside, but he got sucked in to go too fast. I’m putting a line through that run. 

I’m not sure Cheltenham would be his cup of tea, either. He’d get very wound up. 

Race: Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle or Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle.

He’s on the list and there's every chance he’ll go and run at the Cheltenham Festival.

Race: Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup. 

We’ve also got Monkfish in the Cheltenham Gold Cup this year. He’s also in the Stayers’ Hurdle, but I’m thinking if the ground is nice, I would have to seriously consider Monkfish for the Gold Cup. 

He’s got the class for the Gold Cup, and I was happy that he came back in good order when winning at Gowran Park in January, albeit that was over hurdles. 

At the moment, anyway, I’d say I’m going to prepare him for the Gold Cup. I’ll have a word with Rich (Ricci) and see what his preference is, too, but Monkfish is in great order, and that will mean we hopefully have two runners in the Gold Cup this year. 

I haven’t asked him enough questions (to see if he is as good as he once was) but he went a long way towards answering that question at Gowran Park. I was very happy with him there. 

Come Cheltenham, he’ll be better again. 

Race:  Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle or Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle.

Ronnie Bartlett and JP McManus are good pals, so will Ballyburn and Mystical Power take one another on? I have been very pleased with what Mystical Power has shown over two miles. 

With his pedigree, I thought he could be a two-and-a-half miler, or even further, but he’s shaped more like a two-miler to look at, but that wasn’t obvious in his work at home. 

I think he’s a bit like his mother, just a late developer. Look at Quevega, she was a late developer and all her progeny are the same. 

This fellow is just improving all the time. The last bit of work, where Mark rode him, before the Lawlor's Of Naas race, which he didn’t partake in, it was amazing how much he had improved. 

Then when that race was put back a week we decided to go for the other race (Moscow Flyer), and he was very good there. We were very happy and you’d have to think Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. We’ve had Moscow Flyer winners to go both ways, I think, and it has been a very good race for us as a trial for Cheltenham. 

Race: National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Novices' Chase, Brown Advisory Novices' Chase or Turners Novices' Chase.

We were a little bit disappointed not to win at Navan in February, but American Mike is a fair machine on his day. Nick Rockett is entered at the Cheltenham Festival, but we might keep him at home.

I don’t think he’s qualified for the National Hunt Chase (horses need to have had four runs). That was his third run and I won’t be running him again before Cheltenham, if we did go there.

Race: Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle. 

We ran him over two miles at Leopardstown over Christmas, and over an extended 2m6f last time out, and I’d imagine the Baring Bingham will be his target. 

He was too keen at Leopardstown last time out and he might need headgear on him next time to help settle him, too. But they’ll be going much faster in the Baring Bingham, which will suit him as well. 

Race: Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle or a handicap.

I imagine he’s going down the handicap route. He’s had four runs. I’d imagine he would be Albert Bartlett or handicap route. 

Race: Baring Bingham. 

He’s in the Baring Bingham, and he’s also in the Albert Bartlett. I don’t know where I am at the moment with him. He could go for either race, absolutely no problem. He has the stamina to go for the Albert Bartlett, and obviously has enough class for the Baring Bingham, so it’s a nice position for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede to be in. 

Race: JCB Triumph Hurdle.

I’m just having little setbacks with him. Nothing to worry about if he weren’t to go to the Triumph Hurdle, but I’m not sure whether we’ll see him at the Cheltenham Festival. He’s a top-class horse, though.

Race: McCoy Contractors County Hurdle, Coral Cup or Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.

He is a fair operator. His run at Christmas against Noble Yeats, I went down to Limerick thinking this horse would not handle that ground. We thought after that Noble Yeats must have had an off day. Maybe he didn’t, but I think he did. 

Race: My Pension Expert Arkle or Turners Novices’ Chase. 

He’ll probably run at the Cheltenham Festival. He always runs well there and could go for the Arkle or the Turners. 

Race: Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle.

Stayers’ Hurdle is where he'll go. He’s in good shape. He’s coming right and was good on his return to hurdles at Punchestown last time out.

Race: Unibet Champion Hurdle. 

He’s going for the Champion Hurdle, and I think he’s in great order. He always lunges for a week after a run so has been doing that since his win in the Irish Champion Hurdle. 

I thought his performance against Impaire Et Passe in the Matheson Hurdle over Christmas was huge. 

We have a lot more experience with him now going into the Champion Hurdle and he’s really race fit, although Nicky Henderson does have a habit of getting his horse right cherry ripe on the day. Nicky always gets them right for Cheltenham. 

However, we hope it’s going to be a hell of a race as I think State Man is stronger this year. I will leave the tactics up to Paul (Townend) but we’re happy to have the horse in such good order and hopefully we can get him to Cheltenham in that order. That’s our plan. 

He doesn’t have the same Pizzazz as Faugheen or the speed that Hurricane Fly had, but he has the consistency, both on track and at home, and he jumps well. Hopefully we can turn the tables on Constitution Hill. 

Race: JCB Triumph Hurdle.

He ran well enough at the Dublin Racing Festival. He’ll be there with his chance.

Race: -- 

I don’t think he will go to the Cheltenham Festival this year. He won very well at Fairyhouse last time out, and somewhere domestic will be best for him next. 

Race: Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

I thought that was a hell of a run at the Dublin Racing Festival giving weight to everything. I thought he might have been in a better position earlier on. He’s going to run some race at Cheltenham I think [in the Champion Bumper].