Willie Mullins' top twenty Cheltenham Festival 2022 contenders

Willie Mullins will send a vast squad dripping in quality to the Cheltenham Festival next month, with such as Allaho, Al Boum Photo, Sir Gerhard, Dysart Dynamo, Energumene, Appreciate It and Galopin Des Champs just a few of the star names among his raiding party.

The serial Irish champion trainer has at least one of the first two in the betting for 16 of the non-handicap races at the Cheltenham Festival. With 78 Cheltenham Festival winners to his name, he is already the most successful trainer of all time at the meeting and more victors are almost guaranteed.

Below are 20 of Mullins’ leading contenders this year, with a brief profile on each, as well as the inside track from the man himself.

Race: Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup

Overview: Provided Mullins with a cherished first Gold Cup win in 2019 after six second plaxes in the race. And then he returned a year later to retain his crown the following year. Finished a gallant third last year and another bold bid looks on the card after his customary win at Tramore on New Year's Day, although it's a niggle that his wellbeing is a concern for his trainer.

Trainer comments: I’d rather I had Al Boum Photo in better order to be honest. He did some work and I wasn’t happy with him so we’ll see. We’ve still got plenty of time and he’s fit and I think he’s looked in better form this morning and in recent days. We just gave him a few easy days after his work and it just might not have been his day. He usually comes right for Cheltenham.

I’m hoping he comes into form and I think he will. I think we were probably a bit hard on him because he had a race and maybe that’s backfired on me a little bit. It looks a very open race though.

Paul was very happy with him at Tramore and said he’s in way better form than he was last year and we thought that would take a bit of pressure off but because we hadn’t had the chance to run him we’ve worked him very hard at home and maybe we’ve overcooked it. It looks an open enough race and some of the leading contenders haven’t put their head up yet but a lot will depend on who turns up on the day. He’s done his job for us and Joe Donnelly and owes us nothing.

Race: Ryanair Chase.

Overview: High-class chaser who produced one of the performances of the Cheltenham Festival last year when making all in the Ryanair Chase. Has looked as good as ever this season and won the same race at Thurles in January that he was successful in ahead of last year’s Ryanair. Mullins also believes he’s one of his best chances of the week.

Trainer comments: It looks like the Ryanair and he’s in great shape and doing well. He’d be the first one that comes to mind for me as the banker for us and I’d be very disappointed if he doesn’t run a really good race.

Race: Unibet Champion Hurdle.

Overview: Unbeaten in four starts last season, and three of those victories were in Grade One company. Was a hugely impressive winner of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle when last seen, although it is a concern he hasn’t run since. However, we still don’t know the ceiling of his ability and he looks the biggest danger to Honeysuckle.

Trainer comments: Appreciate It will go for the Champion Hurdle. He looks to be in great form at home and I had him away for a gallop last week and he did very well.

Taking on Honeysuckle is a big challenge for any horse, she races any way that Rachael puts her and she’s going to be very hard for anyone to beat her – there doesn’t look to be anyone in the British Isles anyhow.

I’d say we have a good record for doing that (running well first time out at the Festival), but I don’t know whether we’ve done it for the Champion Hurdle. Obviously, there was Quevega and it’s not something I’m worried about, and I didn’t think he needed a run that close to the Festival, so I’m very happy to go there as we are.

He was going to go chasing this year and he got injured, so we changed our mind to go back hurdling as we didn’t want to lose his novice status this late in a season. It was a fairly easy decision to make. The novice chases can be very lucrative so you don’t want to waste it, you want to win three or four races during the season and if it’s a good season you could win six or seven! If he gets started early and the ground is nice, we’ll see.

Race: St. James's Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase.

Overview: Went agonisingly close when runner-up at the Cheltenham Festival and the Dublin Racing Festival last year. He was also second in this race in 2020 and warmed up for his third tilt this year with a smooth victory at Naas. If he reproduces either of his two previous outings this contest for amateur riders, then he will go close again. He wore cheekpieces for the first time on his latest start.

Trainer comments: Paul rode him last year when Patrick couldn’t and I don’t think he’d ridden him in a race. Patrick knows him and he’s a horse you need to know. We put cheekpieces on him the last day and it seemed to transform him, so we’ll keep those on and hopefully we’ll get that trophy. I promised John Turner that we’d win a nice trophy for him at Cheltenham, this is the one we picked and it’s why Billaway went hunter chasing. It’s a fabulous trophy, I won’t be taking it on my load bag at the airport if we’re lucky enough to win it!

Race: Sporting Life Arkle Novices’ Chase.

Overview: Useful hurdler last season who would surely have finished second in the Supreme had he not fallen at the last. Has taken his form to a new level since embarking on a chasing campaign this season and recorded Grade One success in the Irish Arkle Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival. Closely matched with Riviere D’etel – who is also set to run in the Arkle – on that form.

Trainer comments: He’s done everything right and jumps well. He’s a fairly obvious one in that he’s going for the Arkle and hopefully runs well.

Race: Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Overview: The leading two-mile chaser in Ireland and has produced some devastating performances in Grade One company. Ran a shade below-par in when runner-up in last year’s Champion Chase, and also disappointed on his other start in Britain when finishing last in the Tingle Creek in December. That is a slight concern, but if he produces his best he is a big danger to Shishkin and Energumene.

Trainer comments: I think the world of Chacun Pour Soi and a lot of people are saying that he can’t face the hill at Cheltenham but he’s a horse I’d love to see get a fair chance over there – which I don’t think he’s had yet.

Maybe he’s a horse that runs better fresh, especially when you take the travelling into account. People are saying we should fly him, but I don’t think that’s the solution as it brings a whole new thing into it. I think he’ll be fine going over the way we do – we used to fly and there wasn’t much in it, plus the cost was high.

When we went to Cheltenham in the early days, all the horses flew. Since ferries and roads have improved, we can get to Cheltenham about two or three hours longer than we would when we fly, plus there’s so much waiting around when you do that. There’s a plus and minus to everything – we need our own plane and runway!

At the time I thought we should have made more use of him pace wise last year, but this year is a different race.

He and Energumene are completely different horses. Energumene is a young horse coming into this and Chacun has done a lot of stuff, so we give him the respect he’s due, I think.

Race: Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase.

Overview: Bolted up in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle in 2020 and has finished runner-up on her two other visits to the Cheltenham Festival. Has won her first two starts over fences this season and looks equally as good over the larger obstacles plus her Cheltenham experience will stand her in good stead.

Trainer comments: I imagine Concertista will go to the Mares’ Chase and she has good form around Cheltenham. We worked her yesterday and she jumped some hurdles and some fences so we’re very happy. She had a small setback three weeks ago and yesterday was us seeing how she was, and she jumped everything fine so we’re very pleased with her.

Race: SkyBet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle or Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.

Overview: Created a big impression in two bumper starts last season and has looked a superstar in the making on his two outings over hurdles this season. The form of his latest win has worked out well and he is vying for favouritism in the Supreme, and the Ballymore.

Trainer comments: Dysart Dynamo was very free the last day in front but I think Paul has said to me on more than one occasion that when he settles behind a horse he’s fine.

Race: Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase.

Overview: Consistent mare who has some strong form next to her name and found only Colreevy too good in the Mares’ Chase 12 months ago. Has produced a similar level of form again this season and jumped beautifully en route to success at Naas in February. Expect her to go close again.

Trainer comments: Elimay is going to the Mares’ Chase and we put cheekpieces on her last time. She jumped really well in those so she might stick with those and maybe be more prominent riding her, we’ll see. She’s in good form.

Race: Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Overview: Relatively lightly-raced for his age, but this electric jumper is a dual Grade One winner over fences plus is rated only 1lb lower (175) than Chacun Pour Soi. Had Shishkin in trouble before Nicky Henderson’s star chaser collared him close home in the Clarence House Chase last time out, and there are reasons to believe he could reverse the form at Cheltenham.

Trainer comments: Chacun Pour Soi and Energumene are completely different horses. Energumene is a young horse coming into this and Chacun has done a lot of stuff, so we give him the respect he’s due, I think.

Energumene ran a terrific race in a brilliant day to be involved in at Ascot and we look forward to the rematch. We know he’s not far away from wherever Shishkin is but as I said on the day it’s going to be hard to turn that form around. Shishkin made two mistakes and we can probably change things a little bit and it’s going to be very tough to win but we’ll see.

I never worry or think about ground when I go to Cheltenham. I think possibly nicer ground would suit Chacun more and the way he faded at Leopardstown might suggest that better ground may suit. I think Energumene will go on any ground.

I haven’t asked Paul who he’s riding yet but I’d be a Chacun Pour Soi fan. I don’t know what way he’s leaning, it’s going to be hard to turn around the Shishkin form with Energumene so maybe he should play the other card if we can get him there in the order I want to get him there. It will be up to Paul.

Race: Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

Overview: Mullins has made no secret how much he thinks of this son of Quevega who is unbeaeten in two starts and produced a mighty performance to win the Grade Two Future Stars bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival. That race looked a strong one on paper beforehand, and Mullins said his youngster look “the real deal” afterwards.

Trainer comments: Facile Vega has done everything right so far and from what I’ve seen at home and what I’ve seen at the racetrack he’s the one I’d be riding anyways.

I got him ready last year to run and he did a bit of work one day and I said to myself ‘wow, this could be something special’. He got jarred and I left him alone after that. I thought if I can get him back this year and he was as good as last year, he would be good. I didn’t want to overstretch the mark at home, and we got him to the racetrack, and he won nicely. What he did from the furlong marker to home the last day was so professional and we’ve a nice team of bumper horses.

You never know with them, though. I’ve had plenty of morning glories over the years and it’s only when you bring them to the racetrack that you see.

Normally a lot of racemares don’t breed good horses, they might take a generation or two out before they produce something good, or they come via the half-sister or something, but Quevaga (Facile Vega’s dam) wasn’t hard raced and that’s in her favour.

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

Overview: Made rapid progress over hurdles in 2021 and, after bolting up in the Martin Pipe, he ended his season with an easy victory in the Grade One Novice Hurdle at Punchestown. His two wins over fences this season have been hugely impressive, and the sky is the limit for him over the larger obstacles.

Trainer comments: He was so good the first day and was very brave last time out, I think Paul learned plenty about him then. He’s in the Turners and the Brown Advisory and he could go in either. Once again, I want to chat with Paul, and I’d be happy enough if he went in the Turners. I think he has the ability to do that as he jumps well and is sharp.

I think Galopin did it very well at Leopardstown and at the moment I’d be favouring the Turners. I think the way to do it is to look at the best race for the horse rather than the calibre of the opponent and I’m thinking our man may be better off over that trip. He’s obviously a warrior and I think it’s looking like the shorter race, but I’ll have a chat with Paul and see what he thinks.

Race: SkyBet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle or Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.

Overview: A leading bumper performer last season who might have been a shade unlucky when second in the Champion Bumper. Hasn’t quite lived up to expectations so far this season – he was beaten at odds-on on his first two runs over hurdles – but it is still early days with him, and he got off the mark over hurdles with an impressive victory at Punchestown when last seen.

Trainer comments: Kilcruit runs there, that’s the plan anyways. After that I don’t know. I really want to hear what Paul would have to say about what he would like to ride in the first race, and we’ll leave that until we see how the horses are working in the last week.

It would look like Kilcruit should go and he jumps well enough, so everything would seem right for him. He handles the track well and you’d think the horse who finished second in the Bumper could go for the two-and-a-half mile race really but I’m not sure that would suit him.

Race: Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle.

Overview: Things haven’t entirely gone to plan since he won the 2019 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, but he is certainly a high-class hurdler when on song. Endured a lengthy absence prior to his demolition job in the Champion Stayers' Hurdle at Punchestown last year and lowered the colours of Flooring Porter on his return to action this season. However, he was not at his best at Gowran Park when last seen and will need to bounce back at Cheltenham.

Trainer comments: He goes for the Stayers’ and it was probably my fault at Gowran, I fell into the trap of going for it after giving him a break after such a hard race after Christmas. I thought he would be fit enough and sent him there on a wing and a prayer thinking it would be fine and it didn’t work out so I’m going to put a line through that run.

He was very hard to ride at Cheltenham when Ruby rode him – he bolted to the start if I remember – and then what he did at the Dublin Racing Festival at the start when he jumped. If he gets there in the right order and gets through the start, he’d have a good chance, I think.

It wasn’t on my agenda to run him at Gowran and then when it came up it looked like it may be there for the taking. It was only next door and I left with egg on my face! I’d love to go chasing with him but every time I do, he seems to hurt his back or get a niggle. We’ll leave him this year and maybe next year could look at that when he’s matured again. He is a lot easier to keep right over hurdles.

Race: Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

Overview: Travelled powerfully and scored on the bridle on his bumper debut at Leopardstown in December. This will be a big test for him on just his second start, but he is one of a number of exciting youngsters from the yard and certainly looked above average on debut.

Trainer: Redemption Day is a very good bumper horse. Patrick and I were very impressed with him at Leopardstown. He missed the next meeting, so he’ll go there without another race but he’s a horse for the future. You have to be impressed with the amount of speed he showed at Leopardstown at Christmas and he’s by Blue Bresil so he looks a decent horse I think.

Race: SkyBet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle or Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.

Overview: Last year’s Champion Bumper winner is two from two over hurdles this season. Didn’t jump with great fluency last time out but still managed to win the Grade One Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival and is another who has two options at the meeting.

Trainer comments: Sir Gerhard does everything right, except for the last day when we made the running and I thought it just didn’t suit him. He was so professional when he was in behind runners in Leopardstown the first day and I have no doubt that in whichever race he runs in, getting a lead will be fine. If he doesn’t get a lead this time, I think both Paul and horse will know better, and I think Sir Gerhard learned a lot.

He’s got plenty speed and he jumps well so I’m looking forward to getting him over there. He could go in either race and, I don’t think it really matters which we pick as I think he stays, so you could toss a coin at this stage.

Race: National Hunt Chase.

Overview: Shaped with plenty of promise in three Grade One Novice Hurdles last season, but has always been classed as a staying chaser in the making. Made a few mistakes en route to Grade Three glory at Naas in January, and the form of that contest has been franked. Shapes as though he will stay further, and this unbeaten chaser is progressing.

Trainer comments: He’s going for the National Hunt Chase. He jumps well and before he even jumped a fence, we thought he was a horse for this race. His method of jumping is much better than that and in time I think he’ll come back in and win over three and less because he’s such a good jumper.

It’ll be up to Patrick to settle him. He’s very quick jumping. He won’t switch races in my book, we’ve had him mapped out for this and I think that’s where he looks. If he went into the Brown Advisory, he wouldn’t be the favourite so I’m happy to go for this.

Race: Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle.

Overview: Got back to winning ways after rejoining Mullins last year and recorded victories at Grade One and Two level in 2021. Made all to win the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham in January and a reproduction of that run will see her be competitive here.

Trainer comments: Stormy Ireland is in great form and she likes the track. I think she has a big chance in that, so she’d be one to watch. We think she’s in great order and I’m hoping we can get more out of her going to Cheltenham.

Race: Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup

Overview: He was third in the 2018 Bumper and filled the same position in last year's Ryanair Chase, so his ability to handle Cheltenham is not in doubt. Took his form to a new level when swooping from off the pace to land the King George VI Chase at Kempton last time. Was possibly suited by the way the race unfolded, but it would be churlish to knock him and he's unexposed over staying trips.

Trainer comments: Tornado Flyer goes for the Gold Cup and Danny [Mullins] was fantastic on him at Kempton. A similar type of performance to Kempton in the Gold Cup would put him right there and the extra two and a half furlongs could be an advantage to him. I’ve seen a few people say that the extra distance may not help but I think it might. If it is, that puts him right in the picture.

At Kempton things fell into his lap a little bit and softer ground certainly wouldn’t stop him. It might favour him but on his pedigree he’d go on better ground too. He’ll go on either ground and I’m not concerned, stamina doesn’t seem to be a problem and he jumps well enough, so he’s there and he’s a player.

I think going straight to Cheltenham was the plan coming home from Kempton after chatting to connections there. I wasn’t bothered about another run, we entered him in the Irish Gold Cup but we were happy to go straight there.

Race: JCB Triumph Hurdle.

Overview: The vibes were strong ahead of his debut for Mullins and although he was defeated by Pied Piper, that rival has since won easily at Cheltenham. Vauban took a step forward to beat Fil Dor, another highly-regarded youngster from the Gordon Elliott yard, at the Dublin Racing Festival, and that form gives him a leading chance.

Trainer comments: He did everything nicely the last day at Leopardstown and jumped really nicely. He’s going to be a major player in the Triumph, and everything has gone well since and I’m very happy with him.

I wanted to keep him as a novice for next year, so I hadn’t really been training him. He obviously met a good one on the first day (Pied Piper). The Triumph Hurdle is a lot of horses Derby, but I have bigger plans for this fella.

Race: Parnell Properties Mares' Novices' Hurdle.

Overview: Has endured a couple of setbacks during her career but has won three of her five starts and won in the style of a high-class mare in the making when scoring on her hurdles debut this season. Finished second to stablemate Allegorie De Vassy, but hung badly left there, and a return to a left-handed track can only be beneficial.

Trainer comments: Brandy Love did it in her point to point and she did it in her bumper and she’s going to be going left-handed, which means most observers would say she has the beating of Allegorie De Vassy [now a non-runner].