The 19-time Irish champion jumps trainer Willie Mullins is set to bring a strong hand of Cheltenham Festival runners to Prestbury Park for the 2026 meeting (10–13 March).
Willie Mullins, who is also the reigning UK champion trainer, is the most successful in the history of the Cheltenham Festival with a record 113 winners to his credit since landing the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 1995 with Tourist Attraction. He has been leading trainer there 12 times.
Willie tallied 10 trophies at Prestbury Park last year – his equal best season with 2022. His Ryanair Chase winner Fact To File spearheaded his string, while his dual Boodles Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs fought valiantly for a hat-trick but was denied by Inothewayurthinking.
Several of the stables’ winners from last year have entries this time, including Kopek Des Bordes, Lossiemouth, Lecky Watson, Fact To File, Poniros and Kargese.
So how does Willie Mullins rate his key runners at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival? This is what he had to say about just some of his potential contenders when he attended a press briefing in his local town, Bagenalstown, at an event organised by The Jockey Club.
Despite being long odds-on to regain his leading trainer title, he played down expectations.
“I’m always fascinated when people say to me, ‘how many this year, Willie?’” he said. “People expect us to have six, seven, eight or 10 winners. We go there hoping for one, and if we get one on the first day, then hopefully we might get two or three but we don’t go over expecting winners.
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“So I don’t expect, I hope for winners and hopefully the right ones will win. It’s always nicer to get bigger winners than 10 ordinary winners. To get a Gold Cup or a Champion Hurdle puts a whole different aspect on the week.”
As for his form going into the Festival, Willie hopes his string will peak when it matters.
“I’m happy enough. I’ve been further forward in other years,” he admitted. “A few of the horses just haven’t sparked, but I think I’ll have them right by the time we get to Cheltenham.”
Willie Mullins’ key Cheltenham Festival runners
Fact To File: ‘He can run in any race!’
JP McManus’s nine-year-old Poliglote gelding holds the Ryanair crown. He is currently entered to defend that 2½-mile title, but the trainer hasn’t ruled out running him in the Gold Cup over 3m 2f – which will require supplementing at a cost of £25,000.
This was on the strength of beating his stablemates Gaelic Warrior and Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup (over 3m 1/2f) at Leopardstown on his latest outing.
“If you go back to November, Fact To File was the Irish banker for the Ryanair and there was no doubt about it,” said Willie. “And then he comes out and did what he did the other day, and you’ve got to remember it’s not like JP is an ordinary owner.
“JP has so many horses, Spillane’s Tower for one, that he can run in the Gold Cup with a live chance and still keep Fact To File in the Ryanair. He’s seen the ups and downs, ins and outs of it so I’m going to respect whatever he says to me.”
The decision is likely to be taken late, depending on which other horses commit to running. But in terms of prep, Willie has no concerns whether he’s running over two miles or three.
“I’ll just get him ready for Cheltenham and if you’d want to supplement him for the Champion Chase I’d say he can run in that too! But I’ll train him the same.”
Fact To File wins the Ryanair Chase at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. Which race will he go for this season?
(Image credit: Alamy)
Gaelic Warrior: ‘He always runs well at Cheltenham’
The 2024 Arkle winner is Willie’s son Patrick Mullins’ pick for the Gold Cup despite being defeated by Fact To File in the Irish Gold Cup. Susanna Ricci’s eight-year-old by Maxios is a remarkably consistent horse at the highest level in staying chases, and was a narrow third in the King George thriller on Boxing Day.
Gaelic Warrior – described by Patrick as “a tank; he’s pure strength” – holds entries in both the Ryanair and the Gold Cup.
“Gaelic Warrior’s in good form; he had a hard race at Christmas and he had a hard race the other day,” said Willie. “He ran fantastic in both races and he’s a horse that does run well at Cheltenham all the time.
“I thought Gaelic Warrior’s run the other day in Leopardstown was ideal for the Ryanair, myself. I just thought the way he ran his race and I wouldn’t have any problem going back there. I thought that was a hell of a run. Patrick was delighted getting off him – he gave him a terrific feel the other day.”
Gaelic Warrior’s four-year-old full brother Our Trigger could take his chance in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.
Galopin Des Champs: ‘He still has the ability but he’ll need a lot of luck’
Willie’s stable jockey Paul Townend has been aboard Audrey Turley’s son of Timos for both his Gold Cup wins. The 10-year-old has finished third on both his starts this season. Although the horse is in the twilight of his scintillating career, Paul admitted the prospect of riding a rival contender would be “very hard”.
“I don’t think Galopin is finished yet, and I’d love it for the horse to win,” he said. “I’m not saying I would get off him, but if I did and he went by me up the hill, I’d be keeping a wide berth of me for the whole week!”
A hard race at Christmas took more out of the horse than Willie would have liked, but the horse is coming back into form. He would suit softer ground, and may run with cheekpieces.
“He’s in good order and I think he’s still at an age were he’s competitive,” Willie said. “He still has the ability but he’ll need a lot of luck.”
Willie added that Galopin is “lovely individual”.
“He loves people, and when we were out [in the town on his victory parade] we thought we’d just be half an hour but people wanted their photograph with him and he stood there with kids. One kid came over in a wheelchair and he just put his head in his lap – it was extraordinary.”
Galopin Des Champs: can he regain the winning thread?
(Image credit: Alamy)
Majborough: the wide-margin winner who ‘has come right’
JP McManus’s Champion Chase contender put in an impressive jumping performance to beat the reigning champ Marine Nationale by 19 lengths in a Leopardstown bog last time. The six-year-old won the Triumph Hurdle at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival, and is favourite for the 2m showpiece this year.
The Martinborough-sired gelding is one to watch if the going is soft.
“I’m always happy enough with his jumping – he might have had one or two schools but very little,” said Willie. “It’s more or less about getting him right – and he’s come right.”
The Champion Hurdle quest
While his 2024 Champion Hurdle winner State Man is sidelined for the season, Willie has nonetheless five horses entered for the 2m hurdling crown, though not all are certain to run. However he’s not boasting about his chances despite the open field.
“Poniros will definitely run because there’s nowhere else to run him,” he said. “Hopefully he’ll have a first-five finish – I think that’s probably the best we can achieve.
“Anzadam – I’ve tried a couple of things and I’ve one or two more things to try that might make him more competitive. We’re a little disappointed as the year has worked out, but I haven’t given up hope on him just yet.”
“Lossiemouth was disappointing the other day, but it’s a very open Champion Hurdle and I’ll have a good word with [owner] Rich Ricci and see what he thinks. A lot will depend on how the mare is in herself. The form she was in the other day I don’t think would cut the mustard and she might be better off going for the Mares’ Hurdle but we shall see.”
However, if Willie does opt for the Mares’ with Lossiemouth, she is likely to face a serious challenge in Gordon Elliott’s Wodhooh, an improving six-year-old who won at the Festival last year and has won both her Group races this campaign. Arguably the Champion Hurdle could hold more appeal.
3 unexposed runners that could deliver for Willie Mullins at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival
Kopek Des Bordes: ‘The further and faster he jumped, the better’
The six-year-old, owned by Monabeg Investments, hit the headlines after a fabulous workout, and is due to line up in the Arkle. However, he has only had one run over fences – winning a beginners’ chase impressively at Navan by 13 lengths. He’s also been picked out by racing journalist Carl Evans in our round up of Cheltenham day 1 tips.
“You have to ask the question – how many horses have gone to the Arkle with just one run before?” Willie said. “We are up against it experience-wise, but it’s well known how well he worked recently when he and other horses when two miles over fences at racing speed.
“The further and faster he jumped, the better he jumped.”
Kopek Des Bordes heads for the Arkle on the back of one chasing run.
(Image credit: Alamy)
Mighty Park: ‘He has to be a hell of a horse’
JP McManus’ five-year-old son of Walk In The Park is entered in the Supreme Novices’ and Turners Novices’ Hurdles.
He has had only one run over hurdles, where he trounced the 16-strong field by 38 lengths at Fairyhouse.
“When Mark Walsh got off him after he won at Fairyhouse, he said he looked at the big screen at the second last and couldn’t believe how far he was in front, having gone what he thought was a normal slow pace,” said Willie.
“Mark said his cruising speed must be huge and he’s a fantastic jumper. I think he must be right in the mix for the Supreme. He has to be a hell of a horse to do what he did and has huge natural ability.
“Winning by 38 lengths like he did the other day puts you into Faugheen-type territory. From day one I thought he was good enough to win a Champion Bumper with what he was showing me at home.”
Love Sign D’Aunou: ‘He didn’t beat them, he hammered them’
Susanna Ricci’s five-year-old son of Goliath Du Berlais is another Bumper contender. He has won his only start by 10 lengths.
“That win at Naas was a huge performance,” said Willie. “I always love horses that can win at Christmas time or this time of year by 10 lengths.
“He hammered them. He didn’t beat them, he hammered them, and what I loved about it was that he never really showed me that at home. I have so many morning glories where you think they’re fantastic at home and you bring them to the racetrack and they let you down.”
Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
