WITH just over two weeks to go, Willie Mullins is responsible for 13 favourites or joint-favourites for the Cheltenham Festival.

He has been the leading trainer at the Cheltenham Festival seven times in the past 10 years and is the most successful trainer of all time at the meeting with 78 winners.

This week the perennial champion trainer took time out to talk to the press about many of his best contenders for this year’s four-day meeting.

Al Boum Photo

11/211/13-21

Boodles Gold Cup

I’d rather I had him in better order, to be honest. I brought him away to work and I wasn’t happy with him, so we’ll see. He’s fit and we should have plenty of time. I think he’s in better order this morning than he was the last few days.

I gave him a few easy days after he worked. Maybe it wasn’t his day when I brought him away. He usually comes right for Cheltenham. I wish he was in better form, but we still have time. It’s a matter of hoping he comes into form. I was probably hard on him because he hadn’t had racing and maybe that just backfired on me a little bit with the work I gave him.

I was very happy with him after Tramore and so was Paul (Townend). He said he was in way better form than he was the previous year. But because we haven’t had the chance to run him since, I was working him very hard at home and maybe we just overcooked him a little bit at his age.

It looks like an open Gold Cup and a lot will depend on who gets to the races on the day in great form, I think.

Allaho

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Ryanair Chase

It looks like the Ryanair for him 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.

Allegorie De Vassy

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Parnell Properties Mares’ Novice Hurdle

She looks a really good mare, a big strong mare who will jump fences down the line. We’ll look to the Mares’ Novice for her. I think she’s improving and I think it’s going to be a really good race.

Appreciate It

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Unibet Champion Hurdle

He looks to be in great form at home. I had him away for a gallop last week and I was very, very happy with him – he galloped very well.

I’d say we have a good record with running horses first time out at Cheltenham. I don’t know we’ve done it in a Champion Hurdle, but obviously we did it with Quevega and Joe Cullen would have won first time up (when winning the 2000 Champion Bumper). It’s not something I’m worried about. I made the decision ages ago and the closer we’ve got, the happier I am that we didn’t have a run.

It’s a big challenge for any horse to take on Honeysuckle. She races anywhere Rachael (Blackmore) puts her and there doesn’t look to be much that can beat her, anyhow.

Asterion Forlonge

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Boodles Gold Cup

The day he gets all his jumping together he’s going to be a player but unfortunately he picks a fence or two to make a mess of. He made two mistakes in the King George and it just got him out of the race and even then he was still coming back at the last looking like he had a chance.

He ran a cracker at Leopardstown going to the second last and for no reason put down which lost him his position and then he finished fourth which made me think ‘that wasn’t a bad performance’.

I’m possibly hoping rather than expecting that we can get things right one day. He’s grand, you just wouldn’t put a kid on him. I’ve found over the years that if you keep running and running those horses they’ll get the hang of it. He’s not a handicapper that you can run once every three weeks – maybe that’s what I should do – but at the moment we feel he’s good enough to take his chance in graded races.

I’d imagine he’d go for the Gold Cup but there’s talk he could go to the Ryanair. I’m wondering because he’s a Coastal Path horse – which says stamina - but we may drop him back in trip because he does jump. Going flat out over two may just suit him and he may be better off being very aggressive.

We all see when he races that he has Grade 1 ability, it’s just his jumping that lets him down.

Billaway

211252-21

Foxhunter Chase

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 and hopefully we’ll get that trophy.

I promised John Turner that we’d win a 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!

Blue Lord

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Sporting Life Arkle Chase

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.

Brandy Love

13-12

Parnell Properties Mares’ Novice Hurdle

She was second behind Allegorie De Vassey at Fairyhouse last time. She 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.

Burning Victory

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Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle

I was very happy with her jumping [at Punchestown on Wednesday], I think it’s the first time she’s ever jumped without making a mistake, so the cheekpieces were a big help to her. She still jumped a little tall. I think she needed the race, especially the way she finished, but she did go a fast gallop and was probably tying up a little bit at the end.

Capodanno

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Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase

He’s back now but he hurt his shoulder at Leopardstown last month. He got a bad bruise but he’s okay now.

Chacun Pour Soi

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Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase

I think the world of him. 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.

At the time I thought we should have made more use of him pace-wise last year but this year is a different race. I think possibly nicer ground would suit him more and the way he faded at Leopardstown might suggest that better ground may suit.

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!

Concertista

1123-11

Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase

She has good form around Cheltenham. We worked her on Tuesday and she jumped some hurdles and some fences so we’re very happy. She had a small setback three weeks ago. Tuesday was us seeing how she was and she jumped everything fine, so we’re very pleased with her.

Dinoblue

-1

Parnell Properties’ Mares’ Novice Hurdle

She looked very good in heavy ground at Clonmel last month and I worked her the other morning. That was her first bit of work back and she worked very, very well so I’m looking forward to running her.

Dysart Dynamo

11-11

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle/Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle

Dysart Dynamo was very good the last day. He was very free in front, but Paul has said to me that when you ride him in behind horses he’s fine. I really want to hear what Paul would have to say about what he would like to ride in the first race (Supreme).

I have a fair idea what I’m going to do, but I want to see how they work and chat to Paul and I don’t want to chat to him too soon. And I want to chat with David (Casey) and Patrick (Mullins) and Ruby (Walsh) and their input will be huge, too.

El Fabiolo

3-1

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle/Ballymore Properties’ Novice Hurdle

He was very impressive at Tramore – which is our Cheltenham trial track! I think the form has worked out well too. He got a little cut the last day and we withdrew him but I think his form stacks up and he could run.

You’d probably automatically say he’s a Supreme horse but maybe we could change and ride him differently in the Ballymore. He’s got plenty of speed and Paul is happy that he can settle him – that will be the key – so we could go for the Ballymore.

Elimay

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Mrs PaddyPower Mares’ Chase

She is going to the Mares’ Chase. 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.

Energumene

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Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase

He 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. We can probably change things a little bit.

I don’t know what way Paul is leaning, it’s going to be hard to turn around the Shishkin form with Energumene so maybe he should play the other card [Chacun Pour Soi] if we can get him there in the order I want to get him there. It will be up to Paul.

Facile Vega

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Weatherbys Champion Bumper

He 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.

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 Quevega (Facile Vega’s dam) wasn’t hard raced and that’s in her favour.

Galopin De Champs

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Turners Novices’ Chase

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. 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.

Kilcruit

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Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

It would look like he should go to Cheltenham. He jumps well enough and handles the track well. You’d think the horse who finished second in the Bumper could go for the two-and-a-half-mile race but I’m not sure that would suit him.

Klassical Dream

135-1-14

Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle

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. 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!

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 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.

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.

Minella Cocooner

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Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle/Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

I thought Danny gave him a terrific ride to win at Leopardstown last time and I was really impressed with how he jumped. Danny settled him and got his breathers into him. His style of racing might not suit the Albert Bartlett.

I haven’t made my mind up on him yet, you would think that the Ballymore would be the race for him though, looking at his style of running, jumping and racing. However, whether he is good enough is another decision I’m going to have to make. He takes a lot out of himself when racing so we’ll see where we go with him.

Redemption Day

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Weatherbys Champion Bumper

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 at Christmas.

Sir Gerhard

1113-11

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle/Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle

He does everything right, except for the last day when we made the running with him, which I think didn’t suit him. I’ve no doubt that whatever race he runs in, getting a lead, he’ll be fine.

He has plenty of speed and jumps well. I’m looking forward to getting him over there and he could go in either the Supreme or the Ballymore. You could toss a coin to decide which race he goes to. That’s the sort of ability I think he has.

Stormy Ireland

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Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle

She’s in great form. 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.

The Nice Guy

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Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

He has surprised me. He’s come out and won two bumpers and a maiden hurdle at Naas and it surprised me because at home I couldn’t get that type of feeling of him that he was going to win a bumper – let alone what he’s done.

He’s better than I thought he would be on his homework.

He’s not a big strong three-mile chaser to look at but the way he jumps makes me think he’s going to make a nice chaser as well. He’s light-framed which means he might be a lot easier to keep sound so I’m very happy with his progress.

Tornado Flyer

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Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup

Danny was fantastic on him at Kempton. I think 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. Stamina doesn’t seem to be a problem and he jumps well enough, so he’s there and he’s a player, I think.

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.

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.

Vauban

21

JCB Triumph Hurdle

He did everything nicely the last day at Leopardstown and jumped really nicely. 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 the first day (Pied Piper). The Triumph Hurdle is a lot of horses’ Derby but I have bigger plans for this fella.