Cheltenham News: Willie Mullins’ Best Horses, Entries & Festival Chances

Willie Mullins’ Cheltenham Record

As the festival’s most accomplished trainer, few names command more respect than Willie Mullins.

He’s accumulated 113 career wins at the Festival, claiming the Champion Bumper an enormous 14 times, the David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle 11 times and the prestigious Gold Cup four times. Mullins also holds the record for the most wins in a Festival, achieving 10 winners in 2022 before repeating the feat in 2025.  

This year, he aims to build on his reputation, announcing 87 total entries from 54 individual horses for the event – assembling another formidable squad to travel across the Irish Sea.

From Lossiemouth and Majborough to Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior – here is our race-by-race preview of the Best Willie Mullins horses at Cheltenham and their prospects as Festival week approaches. 

Willie Mullins Champion Hurdle Chances: A Rebound to Dominance?

Although not a stranger to the Champion Hurdle, Willie Mullins hasn’t held a particularly strong hand in recent years. 

A win in 2024 with Paul Townend and State Man was the first time he’d reached the top spot since his successful campaign with Ruby Walsh. The pair were dominant in the early to mid 2010’s with Hurricane Fly (2011, 2013), Faugheen (2014), and Annie Power (2016). 

This year, Mullins has four entries in the Champion Hurdle: Anzadam, Ballyburn, Lossiemouth, and Poniros. It’s Lossiemouth that stands as the best shot to secure a win. 

Lossiemouth Leads the Way for Willie Mullins’ Champion Hurdle Bid

A 7-year-old grey mare, Lossiemouth, is one of the top horses in Mullins’ stable, accruing lifetime earnings of more than £900,00. 

Recent runs show she’s in good form in the build-up to the festival, finishing second only to Brighterdaysahead – her main competitor in this year’s Champion Hurdle – in her most recent run out at Leopardstown in February. 

Table: Lossiemouth Recent Runs 

Lossiemouth has a strong history at the festival, winning all four of her entries in the last three years. The Triumph Hurdle in 2023, both the Unibet Hurdle and Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle in 2024, and most recently the Mares’ Hurdle in 2025.

Table: Lossiemouth Cheltenham Form

We know Lossiemouth has the credentials to win – she’s proved herself time and time again over similar differences, but there’s plenty of competition. Dan Skelton’s “The New Lion” and Gordon Elliot’s “Brighterdaysahead” are the current favourites. But you’d be brave to bet against Mullins, Townend, and Lossiemouth. 

Willie Mullins Queen Mother Champion Chase: A Royal Return to Form?

With victories last in 2023 and 2024 with Paul Townend and Energumene, Mullins will be keen to add another victory to his list, especially after pulling up with the previously winning pair in 2025.

Energumene may not be entered in this year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase – you’ll find him entered in the Ryanair Chase on the Thursday. There are just two Willie Mullins Cheltenham runners in the Champion Chase: Majborough and Il Etait Temps. 

Majborough Looking Promising for Willie Mullins in the Leopardstown Dublin Chase

A 6-year-old bay gelding, Majborough, is among the most exciting young chasers at the Cheltenham Festival and a key contender for Willie Mullins in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. 

He’s won four of his seven starts over fences, with his most recent victory – the Dublin Chase in Leopardstown – securing high hopes from both Willie Mullins and Mark Walsh (jockey). 

Table: Majborough Recent Runs 

Majborough also has a good record at Cheltenham, winning the JCB Triumph Hurdle in 2024 and placing third in the Arkle Challenge Novices’ Trophy in 2025. Still only a six-year-old, he’s constantly improving and, as Mullins says, “all roads lead to the Champion Chase”.

Table: Majborough Cheltenham Form

Majborough is marked as the early favourite, but fierce competition from the more experienced Marine Nationale (Barry Connell) and L’eau Du Sud (Dan Skelton) could stop Mullins’ young gelding in his tracks. 

Willie Mullins Ryanair Chase: The Chance to Fly High With Two-in-a-row for Fact To File

Following its inception in 2005, Mullins is the most successful trainer in the history of the Ryanair Chase, securing a total of six wins with Vautour (2016), Un de Sceaux (2017), Min (2020), Allaho (2021, 2022), and Fact To File (2025).

This year, Mullins has five entries in the Ryanair Chase: Gaelic Warrior, Il Etait Temps, Energumene, and the defending champion Fact To File with Mark Walsh (jockey). 

Fact To File Defends His Title for Willie Mullins and Mark Walsh

A 9-year-old bay gelding, Fact To File has won six of his 12 starts over fences, firmly establishing himself as a top-class middle-distance chaser for Willie Mullins.

Table: Fact To File Recent Runs 

After winning in February, Mullins stated that “It was very impressive what he did in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown” and that he was “just going to get him ready to run at Cheltenham”. 

His entry into the Ryanair Chase comes as no surprise following last year’s win – but it’s not the horse's only silverware from the Festival. Fact To File secured a win in the 2024 Brown Advisories Novices’ Chase and second in the 2023 Weatherby’s Champion Bumper.

Table: Fact To File Cheltenham Form

He’s proven repeatedly that he’s a strong contender at this distance, and the defending champion always commands respect. However, securing successive wins at this level is never as simple as it sounds. 

Redemption for Galopin Des Champs and Willie Mullins in the Gold Cup

Mullins and Townend have proved a formidable team in recent history, with previous Willie Mullins Cheltenham winners – Al Boum Photo (2019, 2020) and Galopin Des Champs (2023, 2024) – collecting four Gold Cup wins.

Galopin Des Champs was ultimately beaten by Gavin Cromwell’s Inothewayurthinkin in 2025, and the pair will be hoping for a return to glory in 2026. 

There’s a whopping eight entries from Mullins in this year’s Gold Cup: Gaelic Warrior, Spindleberry, I Am Maximus, Nick Rockett, Impaire Et Passe, Galopin Des Champs, Grangeclare West, and Lecky Watson.  

A comeback from Galopin Des Champs to take a third Gold Cup victory would be a fairytale story, but it’s Gaelic Warrior that’s the number one pick. 

Can Gaelic Warrior Make it Five for Willie Mullins?

Willie Mullins Cheltenham chances of adding a fifth Gold Cup title to his name could come in the shape of Gaelic Warrior, an 8-year-old bay gelding with proven Grade 1 class. He’s entered in both the Gold Cup and the Ryanair Chase, alongside stablemate favourite Fact To File.  

Table: Gaelic Warrior Recent Runs 

Gaelic Warrior has a very good record at Cheltenham. He’s both won the Arkle Challenge Trophy in 2023 and earned two second places, the first in the 2022 Juvenile Handicap Hurdle and the second in the 2023 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle.

Table: Gaelic Warrior Cheltenham Form

With eight entries into the Gold Cup, Gaelic Warrior is just one bow in Mullins’ quill. But he’s likely to be up against Nicky Henderson’s “Jango Baie”, and owner Harry Redknapp’s “The Jukebox Man”. 

No Signs of Slowing for Mullins at Cheltenham

As the festival’s most successful trainer, Mullins has nothing left to prove. However, with last season’s impressive tally of 10 victories, he’s showing no signs of slowing down. 

In 2026, Fact To File looks like the strongest of all Willie Mullins Cheltenham entries, while Gaelic Warrior and Majborough lead the championship charge. History shows that when Mullins heavily targets a race, he rarely leaves empty-handed – especially in Grade 1 company.

Fans looking to follow the action can also explore the latest Cheltenham betting offers, including Cheltenham free bet promotions available ahead of the Festival. Final declarations can, of course, change. Check back for updates as final Cheltenham declarations are confirmed.

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