The countdown to the Cheltenham Festival is now well and truly on, with roughly just one month to go until the famous Prestbury Park roar sends tingles down your spine when the tapes are raised for the opening Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on March 11.
The extended two-mile contest sets the tone for the week ahead, and it could be telling for one of the burning questions that seems to pop up around this time every year: Is Willie Mullins set to be crowned Leading Trainer once again at the Cheltenham Festival?
The master of Closutton has taken home the accolade following each of the last six renewals of Cheltenham, and is the heavy favourite to cast aside his opposition again this year in the pursuit of what could be his 12th overall victory in the Top Trainer battle.
Interestingly, Mullins has only won one of the last five editions of the Supreme. But he will be looking to get off to a winning start this year, as Kopek Des Bordes shot into favouritism on the Cheltenham tips sites after impressing in the Grade 1 Ireland Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.
The even-money shot is the 68-year-old’s only favourite when it comes to the opening day’s other Grade 1s, but he’s not without his big chances in the Arkle, Champion Hurdle or the Mares’ Hurdle, depending on the situation with Lossiemouth.
Majborough’s win in the Irish Arkle is evidence he can take on Sir Gino in the Arkle itself at Cheltenham, while Lossiemouth remains a threat to Constitution Hill in the feature race if connections opt to still send her down that route after a nasty fall in the Irish Champion Hurdle.
Day two of the Festival could kick off with a quickfire double for Mullins. Final Demand was slashed to 5/2 for the Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Hurdle, overtaking The New Lion at the fore after winning a top-level event by 13 lengths at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Ballyburn was another of Mullins’ long line of winners at Leopardstown earlier this month, answering all the questions about his ability over the larger obstacles when digging in deep to beat Croke Park in a Grade 1 Novice Chase and saw support in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase market as a result.
Gaelic Warrior would need to do what he did 12 months ago and reverse his Dublin Racing Festival form if he is to get the better of Jonbon in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, so we move onto day three of the Cheltenham Festival.
Maughreen, a maiden hurdle winner on her sole start over timber to date, gets a tentative vote at this stage for the Grade 2 Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, but confidence will be behind Fact To File in the Ryanair Chase later on if Mullins opts to send the eight-year-old there instead of the Gold Cup.
Speaking of the Gold Cup, the trainer looks set to make history in the highlight of the week as Galopin Des Champs is well on course to land a historic third win in a row—writing his name in the record books alongside legends, including Best Mate and Arkle.
While it would take an immense effort for Mullins to get close to his record of 10 winners from 2022 or even his nine wins from 12 months ago, five or six victories could be the benchmark for success and that certainly seems more than doable.
