Why To Follow Willie Mullins At Cheltenham
The Cheltenham Festival is the greatest show of them all in jumps racing, and the 2023 renewal is just around the corner. Staged over four days in March, the meeting includes four Championship races, the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, World Hurdle, and the biggest of them all, the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Huge crowds are in attendance over the four days, particularly on Friday, when the Gold Cup is up for decision. The best horses, trainers, and jockeys are on show, and it is a huge spectacle for all racing fans.
Who To Look Out For
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Well, simply put, the man to look out for is the master trainer, Willie Mullins. The Irishman is one of the most successful jump racing trainers in the history of the sport and loves to target the Cheltenham Festival with his best horses.
Betting odds on horse racingΒ confirm Willie Mullins place at the top. Mullins is the winning most trainer in the history of the Cheltenham Festival with 88, 10 of which came in 2022 – a record for the most wins achieved over the four days.
He has won most of the big races on multiple occasions, including the Champion Hurdle four times, the Gold Cup and the World Hurdle twice, and the Champion Chase once. He has also dominated other meetings across the season in both Britain and Ireland.
Mullins’ Best Horses In Cheltenham History
Where To Start! The list of Willie Mullins’ top horses to have performed at the Cheltenham Festival reads like a who’s who when it comes to top-class jumps racing.
Quevega
If you want to talk about record-breaking achievements, then the wonder mare, Quevega, stands above the rest. With an unrivaled six consecutive wins in the Mares’ Hurdle at the festival, Quevega is a legend when it comes to Cheltenham.
To further cement her influence on the jumps racing world, Quevega’s son, Facile Vega is set to line up at Cheltenham this year, having recorded a Festival win of his own last year in the Champion Bumper.
Hurricane Fly
Hurricane Fly is one of the most successful hurdlers of all time. The diminutive legend won the Champion Hurdle twice, and also holds the record for five Irish Champion Hurdle wins from 2011 to 2015.
His class can never be called into question, and his strength of character and undying will to win puts him high among the most admired horses in racing history.
Al Boum Photo
Surprisingly, the Cheltenham Gold Cup was one race that Willie Mullins struggled to win throughout his stellar career. Step forward, Al Boum Photo.
Mullins’ Gold Cup hoodoo was finally ended in 2019 by the aforementioned superstar chaser, and as faith would have it, Al Boum Photo returned twelve months later to defend his crown. In the following two years, he would finish 3rd and 6th in subsequent attempts in the prestigious race.
Others
It feels bad to leave out some of Mullins’ other Cheltenham superstars. The likes of Florida Pearl, Douvan, Annie Power, Vautour, and Un De Sceaux must also get a special mention.
This list is a certainty to grow even larger in the future, starting with this year’s festival, for which Mullins’ latest crop of superstars is ready to perform.