WILLIE Mullins is the most successful trainer in Cheltenham Festival history with 94 successes and this week he opened the doors to his famous Closutton stables in Co Carlow for a media visit.
His 2024 team is headed by Galopin Des Champs, who will be bidding to defend his crown in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup. In total, the trainer thinks he could have “60 or 70” runners at next month’s four-day meeting.
Here, Mullins takes us through his latest running plans but, as always, he reserves the right to change his mind.
Asked whose advice he takes on board when choosing Cheltenham targets, he said: “I have my own judgement. And then I have Patrick (Mullins), David (Casey), Ruby (Walsh), Paul (Townend) and all those people throw in their tuppence worth.
“Some of the things are so obvious but it’s good to toss it around and listen to people’s reasons and then make your final decision.”
Sourcing horse
Reflecting on the size and quality of his string, Mullins said: “We’re very lucky to have the team we have. We buy horses from a selection of areas – France, English point-to-pointers, we buy Irish point-to-pointers, the odd bumper horse and some stores and those horses are available for everyone.
“Maybe we just get a bit luckier and maybe our riding team is just really good but it’s not as if we just go and plunder all the best horses in France or out of England or the point-to-points. Clearly not. And we very seldom partake in those [boutique] sales, so I don’t know what to say.
“We just do what we do and it’s cyclical isn’t it? England are not having the best time of it at the moment. There are some brilliant trainers there and some very good horses going to Cheltenham but I’m amazed at the amount of horses we have.
“I didn’t want this amount of horses and I didn’t ever imagine having this many horses, but the opposition kept putting up this number of horses so I said, ‘To stay relevant in the game I have to go and get as big as the opposition’.
“That’s in Ireland. I don’t know what the stable sizes are in England but to stay on par in Ireland we built more stables. I didn’t want to. I was very happy where I was with 100-plus horses but it’s grown way bigger than I ever envisaged and it’s a lot of work.”
ABSURDE
(Supreme)
He ran a cracker the other day. I think he’s very ground-dependant – he’ll want good ground. There’s every chance he might go or we could just keep him at home. He’d be a player if he went but that’s a tough two miles and we might just be better off keeping our powder dry for Fairyhouse and Punchestown. I’ll have a word with the owners and they might prefer to stay at home so we’ll see what they say.
ALLEGORIE DE VASSY
(Mares’ Chase)
I’m very happy with her improved performance [last Saturday at Naas]. Paul said to me we need to do something different, so we changed work riders for her and it made a huge difference. Even though I was very happy with her previous work rider, Paul thought this mare is not doing enough.
Did you see her over the first few fences at Naas. She took the birch from the outside wing, she was galloping in the air. I’m watching her and thinking ‘First fence bad, second fence worse, third fence no chance, fourth fence you are out of the race. Paul’.
She went down to the ditch and half-jumped it. The only thing is, from the ditch on - when you joined the flat track - the ground gets hugely better. And next thing, Paul is probably thinking ‘We are not jumping well, I’m not going after those, they are going too fast’.
I felt he’s not going to give her a hard race because she’s out of it. But yet he kept squeezing and I said “if he jumps the next two well ...”. He did jump the next three well and he was right up behind them.
I think it was a combination of the ground and the fact that she got jumping. Paul said she didn’t take a blow and I’d say it’s just the benefit of the new homework kicking in.
I’ve had the highest regard for her all the time. I was sort of disappointed last year when she got beaten. I thought she was one of our best ones to go to Cheltenham last year.
APPRECIATE IT
(Ryanair Chase)
He has been disappointing this year and hopefully we can get him back for the Ryanair Chase. He’s another one where I’ve had to change something to get his best performances out of him.
ASHROE DIAMOND
(Mares’ Hurdle)
She did a nice job in Doncaster and she’s improved nicely now. I didn’t expect her to do that and improve so much.
ASIAN MASTER
(Supreme)
He has been very impressive in his two wins and I imagine he’ll take his chance in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. He has every right to as he is a slick hurdler and has shown a lot of ability. On pedigree he looks like he should be a hunter chaser but he’s been a revelation since he came here.
BALLYBURN
(Supreme, Baring Bingham)
He has been very impressive. Pedigree-wise, you’d be thinking Baring Bingham and looking at his race record you’d be thinking Supreme. His owners have no preference and we’ll leave it open.
BILLERICAY DICKIE
(Supreme, Baring Bingham)
I’m not sure Cheltenham would suit him, I’m not sure of the ground. I think at the moment he’s on the list but I don’t think we’ll go. I think he needs way better ground so we’ll see what happens.
BUNTING
(Triumph Hurdle)
He was good [when fourth to Kargese at Leopardstown], yeah, great in that ground. Now, I know he won in probably worse ground at Christmas, but he’s learning as well. He knows how to race, and I was very taken with how he stayed on at Leopardstown.
CAPODANNO
(Ryanair)
This is his only entry. There are other options there to consider, Aintree maybe, we’ll see when the weights come out.
DANCING CITY
(Albert Bartlett)
I suppose he had been disappointing me up until his last win then everything came right. A step up in trip and nicer ground helped.
DINOBLUE
(Mares’ Chase)
She had been working so well [before finishing second to El Fabiolo at Leopardtown]. I hope she’ll improve again. She made a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes last year in the Grand Annual. Two and a half miles shouldn’t be any bother to her. I’m hoping - just going half a mile slower - she’ll be fine.
ECHOES IN RAIN
(Mares’ Hurdle, Champion Hurdle)
If it looks like it’s only going to be five or six runners in the Champion Hurdle, she might take her chance.
EL FABIOLO
(Champion Chase)
Before the Dublin Racing Festival, I thought if El Fabiolo misses a beat somewhere this mare (Dinoblue) will be on top of him but he didn’t miss a beat, he was just so good. His prep runs this year have been very good. If he can reproduce them and have a clear round in the Champion Chase, he’ll be the one at the top of the market. I just hope he hasn’t peaked too soon for the season.
EMBASSY GARDENS
(NH Chase, Brown Advisory)
At the moment I would probably 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 has come out of Naas in good order so I’m looking forward to him.
You’d have to say at the moment that unless something happens, or Paul Nicholls doesn’t want to go for that race (the Brown Advisory with Stay Away Fay), you’d have to think the National Hunt Chase would be better.
ETHICAL DIAMOND
(Triumph Hurdle)
He needs another run to qualify for the Fred Winter. I’m not sure I want to do that so I might just go straight to the Triumph with him. He’s a nice horse. I thought he finished very well [when fifth to Kargese at Leopardstown]. He had been too keen for Paul [Townend] at Christmas so I said to Michael O’Sullivan to just get him settled, get him jumping, and see what you can do in the last half mile. On his flat form he should be a leading contender for the Triumph Hurdle but obviously he might be very ground dependent. At least that’s what I’m hoping, that he’d be better as we get better ground in the spring. He’s one I’m looking forward to.
FACILE VEGA
(Turners, Brown Advisory, Arkle)
Facile Vega has been a disappointment. Paul (Townend, jockey) said that he felt as if he’s still not back to where he was at his best. Over the years he’s been frustrating, so I’m working on a different plan for him, training-wise. I don’t know about a target yet. Obviously with his pedigree he could go out and run in the Turners, Brown Advisory or the Arkle. I’m going to see his last few gallops which will probably tell us where we stand.
FACT TO FILE
(Brown Advisory, Turners)
I’ve had two different speed men tell me that his speed figures are fantastic. At Christmas, anyway, it transpired what they said was right. He is in the Brown Advisory and the Turners. He’s done everything right and run a huge trial for both races. I think we might be leaning more towards the Brown Advisory.
FLEUR AU FUSIL
(Bumper)
She put in an excellent performance at Leopardstown [when she won the Grade 2 mares’ bumper). She just seems to relax when she gets to the front. Jody [Townend] gets on very well with her.
FUN FUN FUN
(Mares’ Novice Hurdle)
She was very good the other day [defeated geldings in a listed novice hurdle at Exeter]. She was keen. I’m not sure Cheltenham would be her ideal stop but we’ll have a think about it. She just might be too keen and too lively in the parade ring. There might be easier options at home. There’s a Grade 1 race at Fairyhouse so maybe we’ll keep her fresh for that.
GAELIC WARRIOR
(Turners, Brown Advisory, Arkle)
Going left-handed didn’t seem to suit him last time but he did get agitated beforehand and ran too free. He was very disappointing. I find good horses when they get beaten are a bit like boxers, they don’t like it and they get disappointed. But we’ll try and have him right for the Turners, the way he jumps and his speed jumping, certainly going right handed, I wouldn’t have any problem putting him into a two mile race but we’ll see.
GALA MARCEAU
(Mares’ Hurdle)
Not much really to say there. She ran well there (Cheltenham) last year and I think she ran well in her last run. She’ll go there with every chance but she has a big task ahead of her.
GALOPIN DES CHAMPS
(Gold Cup)
He has come out of his last race very well and I am very happy. It’s going to be a tip-top Gold Cup I think and we are in great form.
I totally think he has enjoyed being ridden off the pace in his last two starts. I had wanted him ridden off the pace for the two years before that because he was too keen and I felt he would get drawn into a battle which didn’t happen last year.
This year I don’t mind (how he is ridden) because he stronger and more mature now and he will be up to it.
HIGH CLASS HERO
(Baring Bingham, Albert Bartlett)
I’m very happy with him. When he won his race in the autumn, I said to David Casey I’ll pick one race in the spring as a prep for Cheltenham, I don’t want him having a hard race at the Dublin Racing Festival. David found the race at Thurles and he came through it lovely.
IL ETAIT TEMPS
(Arkle)
I imagine he’s Arkle-bound. Danny (Mullins, jockey) got on great with him in the Dublin Racing Festival (when winning the Grade 1 Irish Arkle Novice Chase) so I think that’s going to be an easy enough decision to make at this point.
ILE ATLANTIQUE
(Baring Bingham)
My preference all along has been the Baring Bingham. I’m very happy with him. I thought he put up a tremendous performance at Naas when he was beaten by Readin Tommy Wrong, he did all the donkey work. Cheltenham will be a different race, he’s a very good horse.
JADE DE GRUGY
(Mares’ Novice Hurdle)
She has been very impressive. She jumps well and there doesn’t seem to be any chink in her armour. I’m very happy with how she is.
JASMINE DE VAUX
(Bumper)
This is the bumper horse, he looks well. I’m sure I’ll have one or two others to put in with him but I can’t think of one right now.
KARGESE
(Triumph)
I imagine he will go for the Triumph.
LOSSIEMOUTH
(Champion Hurdle, Mares’ Hurdle)
Lossiemouth hasn’t done anything wrong and I know a lot of people would like her to go down the Champion Hurdle route, but even if there was no Mares’ Hurdle, as she is only a five-year-old I am not sure if we’ll go down that route. Five-year-olds win it (Champion Hurdle) every 25 years or so and usually in a bad year.
She did everything right the other day and will have a chance in the future to go for the Champion Hurdle.
MAJBOROUGH
(Triumph Hurdle)
He ran a cracker the other day [when third to Kargese at Leopardstown]. Every time I see him I think Gold Cup not Triumph, he’s just magnificent. He might just be better at four or five but, out of all of my juveniles, he’d be in the top couple of picks anyway.
MAUGHREEN
(Bumper)
By Walk In The Park out of a half-sister to Faugheen. She won her bumper very easily and will improve.
MISTERGIF
(Supreme, Baring Bingham)
At the moment he’s on the list and every chance he’ll go.
MYSTICAL POWER
(Supreme Novices’)
I have been very, very pleased with what he has shown us over two miles. With his pedigree I thought he could be a two and a half miler or even further, it wasn’t very obvious in his homework. I think he’s a bit like his mother (Annie Power), a late developer. You get some pedigrees that are late developers, so this fella is just improving all the time. The last bit of work that Mark (Walsh, jockey) rode him, before the Lawlor’s race which he didn’t partake in, he was amazed at how much he had improved. He was very good in the Moscow Flyer, Mark was happy and you’d have to think Supreme Novices’. We’ve had Moscow Flyer runners go both ways, but it’s been a very good race for us as a trial for Cheltenham.
NICK ROCKETT
(Brown Advisory)
I was a little disappointed [when he finished second at Navan on Sunday] but then again it was against American Mike who was also having his first run over three miles. To me he’s a fair machine on his day but obviously he had a bad day over Christmas. I don’t think he’s qualified for the National Hunt Chase [horses need to have had four chase runs]. That was his third run and I won’t be running him again before Cheltenham.
MINELLA COCOONER
(NH Chase, Brown Advisory)
I just think the way the race played out [finished third to American Mike and Nick Rockett at Navan last Sunday], Danny (Mullins, jockey) had planned to make it and had Gordon’s horse (Favori De Champdou) on the inside. If Danny was to ride the race he probably wanted to ride, but he couldn’t give your man 10 or 15 lengths round the inside, he had to keep him within tow and I think it cost Danny whatever chance he had. I could see what was going on inside Danny’s head. As a professional jockey he had to keep an eye on that in case he got it wrong. He wasn’t wrong to go around the outside but he got sucked into going too fast around the outside, so I’m putting a line through that run and I’m just thinking that it was just the way the race worked out for Danny. However, I’m not sure Cheltenham would be his cup of tea either. He might be better off staying at home as he gets very wound up.
MONKFISH
(Gold Cup, Stayers’ Hurdle)
I am thinking, if enough rain comes and the ground is nice, then we will seriously have to consider him for the Gold Cup. He has got the class and I was happy that he came back in good order at Gowran, albeit over hurdles.
You know I had wanted him ridden off the pace for two years before that, because he was too keen and I felt he would get drawn into a battle which he didn’t get drawn into last year. This year I don’t mind, the horse obviously enjoyed it, I won’t say he’s bigger but he’s stronger. And he’s more mature now. I think he’ll be up for it.
At the moment, I’d say I am going to prepare him for the Gold Cup. We’ll have a word with Rich (Ricci, owner) and see what his preference is but Monkfish is in great order and hopefully we will have two runners in the Gold Cup this year.
PREDATORS GOLD
(Baring Bingham)
He ran too keen last time [second to Dancing City at Leopardstown] and we could look at some different headgear. The faster pace should help.
READIN TOMMY WRONG
(Baring Bingham, Albert Bartlett)
He’s in the Baring Bingham and also the Albert Bartlett, I don’t know where I am at the moment with him, he could go for either race. He has the stamina to go to the Albert Bartlett and obviously has enough class to go for the Baring Bingham so it’s a nice position for (owners) Simon (Munir) and Issac (Souede) to be in.
SA MAJESTE
(Various handicap hurdles)
He went to Limerick at Christmas and I thought he is not going to handle this [heavy] ground. Then he beats Noble Yeats, who I thought must have had an off-day but maybe he didn’t. I think he did [laughs]! He could be one for a handicap.
SHARJAH
(Arkle, Turners)
I’d imagine he will go to Cheltenham again as he always runs well there and could go for the Arkle or the Turners.
SIR GERHARD
(Stayers’ Hurdle)
I think we are diverting Sir Gerhard back to the Stayers’ Hurdle. He ran a cracker last time. We know he is able to win around Cheltenham, we know he stays and we know he jumps hurdles way better than he jumps fences. He’s in good shape, just a little sore after his last escapade over fences, but he’s coming around.
STATE MAN
(Champion Hurdle)
I think he is great order. I thought his performance at Christmas was huge and more competitive than when he won [the Irish Champion Hurdle] the other day.
Nicky Henderson has a habit of getting everything right for Cheltenham. We are stronger this year but I don’t know if we are better. I think we are going to have one hell of a race. I’ll leave the tactics to Paul (Townend, jockey) but I am happy to have him in the form he is in and I hope he is the same for Cheltenham.
The Champion Hurdle winner is the Champion Hurdle winner (Constitution Hill) and he (State Man) hasn’t won one yet. He’ll have a crack this year and maybe next year but he has a bit to catch up, doesn’t he?
He certainly doesn’t have the pizzazz of Faugheen or the speed of Hurricane Fly but he has other things that work - he jumps well, he’s so consistent at home. Anyhow he met Constitution Hill last year so hopefully we can turn the tables this year. He’s the only one we have that’s that good.
We hope there’s going to be a hell of a race. Nicky mightn’t think so, Constitution Hill mightn’t think so, but I think we are stronger this year. I don’t know if we are better but we are stronger.
STORM HEART
(Triumph Hurdle)
He ran well enough [when third to Kargese at Leopardstown] and would be there with his chance at Cheltenham.
YOU OUGHTA KNOW
(Bumper)
I thought that was a hell of a run [when second to Joyeux Machin at Leopardstown]. He was giving weight to everything. I thought if he might have been in a better position earlier on he was going to win. He’s going to run some race at Cheltenham, I think.