Willie Mullins Cheltenham Stable Tour: The inside track on Closutton team

Sky Bet Cheltenham Festival 2023 Specials - Number of Willie Mullins-trained winners

• Under 6 winners - 6/1
• 6-7 winners inclusive - 7/2
• 8-9 winners inclusive - 5/2
• Over 9 winners - 11/10

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FACILE VEGA

I think we just got the tactics wrong at the Dublin Racing Festival. He and High Definition just locked horns passing the winning post on the first circuit and went a mile-and-a-quarter speed going down by the reservoir and the first hurdle down the back and he just took too much out of himself.

Paul pulled him up when things weren’t going well down the home straight. I’m happy just with a change of tactics in the Sky Bet Supreme. Look at the championship bumper last year, Patrick dropped him in, got caught behind a lot of horses, and he just motored through them despite all the mud and kickback.

I couldn’t see any problem with dropping in again – I think he has the ability and class for the race and has every chance. He’s been very good after Leopardstown, we’ve been happy with him, and he’s going to take his chance. I haven’t looked at going up in trip with him yet.

IL ETAIT TEMPS

Has every chance going to Cheltenham having won a Grade One the last day albeit when Facile Vega didn’t really act. But his form all season and last year showed us he was a Grade One horse. It looks like he’ll end up in the Sky Bet Supreme at this stage and Danny is looking forward to riding him. He’s learning to race and jump properly. If he can put it all together at Cheltenham he’ll be there or thereabouts.

DIVERGE

A horse who has gone under the radar. Any horse who wins a maiden hurdle by 20 lengths at Punchestown has to be respected. The last horse of mine who won by that sort of distance might have been Faugheen and when they do it in a competitive maiden hurdle they’re special. He’s by Frankel and it hasn’t been decided yet which race he’ll go in, but I think it will probably be the Supreme.

HUNTERS YARN

Another horse who has improved. We ran him over the wrong trip earlier on at two-and-a-half miles but every time we brought him back to two miles he puts in what I call Grade-type performances.

EL FABIOLO

He was very good at Leopardstown. He and Jonbon have form together form Aintree last season when our fellow, on only the second race of his life, ran him to a photo finish.

That form puts him right up there in the Sporting Life Arkle as does his win in the Irish Arkle. He made a bad mistake down the back there but had some very good horses behind him. He is generally a good jumper though and I’m really looking forward to taking him to Cheltenham.

It’s all to play for. We were so inexperienced when we last met Jonbon and have so much more racing experience now. That will stand him in good stead, and he goes there with a huge chance. He should be improving all the time.

DYSART DYNAMO

He ran a good race in the Irish Arkle. I think Cheltenham will suit him better, it’s a furlong shorter and a tighter track. That will suit his style of running and fences have settled him down too. All in all it puts him in the Sporting Life Arkle with an each-way chance.

SAINT ROI

Was very good at Christmas when winning and didn’t get very far in the Irish Arkle next time. He’s probably going under the radar a little although the Sporting Life Arkle looks like the hottest race of the week, he might be the dark horse in it.

APPRECIATE IT

I’ve been aiming him at the shorter trips but at this stage of his career, he’s nine now, it’s probably time to go out to two-and-a-half miles and he’s likely to go in the Turners. The extra distance will be an advantage to him.

ADAMANTLY CHOSEN

He’s in the Turners as well and probably ran a career best the last day. He has every chance of maybe getting into the frame at Cheltenham. At the moment it looks like the ground will be very good and that will suit him.

STATE MAN

He’s done everything right this year, he’s three from three, and still has scope for more too. He’s by Doctor Dino and I don’t think the ground will be an issue for him in the Champion Hurdle, there’s a dry forecast and no appreciable rain beforehand is being talked about yet.

Constitution Hill looks like he’s going to be a very tough nut to crack but I do think this fellow is improving. Any horse that can win the County as a novice is a good jumper – as is the favourite.

You need to be able to jump slickly and fast to win a Champion Hurdle and have speed too – he’ll need a lot of that on day one. He’s coming all the time and there is more to come – that’s the one little card we have up our sleeve. He’s a relaxed horse and that will stand him in good stead too.

VAUBAN

Goes for the Champion Hurdle this year. He’s only five and we can’t expect him to win it but a good run could see him end up in the first three. He’ll handle the ground given his Flat pedigree and I’m happy enough to let him take his chance and gain more valuable experience.

I AM MAXIMUS

He’s still a maiden over fences and there’s a possibility he could go for the Turners. He’s a nice horse with a nice pedigree and at a big price he might be a good each-way prospect.

ECHOES IN RAIN

She’ll probably go for what must be one of the hottest ever mares’ hurdles with Honeysuckle and Epatante in there. You also have last year’s winner and a few other top class mares too but we’ll go here with Echoes In Rain rather than the Champion Hurdle.

BRANDY LOVE

Came out of Punchestown very well. The course didn’t suit her at all there, going right-handed on a sharp track. She’ll be far better suited by going left handed over a longer trip at Cheltenham and she’s one I can see running very well at a big price in the Mares’ Hurdle.

SHEWEARSITWELL

Another for the race and an improver. It will take a career best for her to get in the first three, but you have to go there to find out.

TEKAO

His form is very good but with the leading contenders in the Triumph Hurdle looking to be a notch above his form he’ll go for the Boodles. We don’t know his mark yet but his jumping technique and style of running give him every chance in that.

RISK BELLE

Qualified for the Boodles and her best form puts her as a Triumph Hurdle contender but I think we’ll go down the handicap route. She’s one everyone has to respect.

GAILLARD DU MESNIL

He was probably a little disappointing at Leopardstown last time but the trip of two miles five furlongs was a bit short for him and they didn’t go a great gallop. He was third in the Brown Advisory last year and is likely to go for the National Hunt Chase this time. It looks a good option for him.

RAMILLIES

He seems to stay and jump very well and would look to have a good chance in the National Hunt Chase or the Brown Advisory. He looks a better chaser than he was a hurdler and Cheltenham should suit him.

IMPAIRE ET PASSE

In both the Supreme and the Ballymore but with the double green having runners already for the two miler I’d imagine he’ll go for the Ballymore. He’s going to be a big contender in that given the ability he’s shown us. He won the Moscow Flyer in Punchestown and usually our winners of that race go for the Supreme but this time I think we’re going for the longer trip.

GAELIC WARRIOR

Another one I think is improving. He has Ballymore written all over him and is going to be a big player.

Sky Bet Cheltenham Festival 2023 Specials - Number of Willie Mullins-trained winners

• Under 6 winners - 6/1
• 6-7 winners inclusive - 7/2
• 8-9 winners inclusive - 5/2
• Over 9 winners - 11/10

Click here for the latest odds and offers

CHAMP KIELY

He has every chance in it too. Danny gave him a terrific ride to win the Lawlors Hotel race in the New Year at Naas and he’s one that’s not without a chance going to Cheltenham.

HO MY LORD

Gave Mark Walsh a bad fall at Christmas but he put things right at Navan the other day, winning well. He looks more of a chaser and we’re looking forward to him going over fences. However, he’s in the Ballymore and I think he has the ability to contest that and be involved at the business end of the race. He’s improving and one I like a lot. Whatever he does this year is a bonus and he’s one to keep an eye on for the future.

SIR GERHARD

One run, one win over fences. He’s entered in all the novice chases and we’re debating between the Turners and the Brown Advisory and at the moment I’m coming down on the side of the Brown Advisory. I think going a couple of miles an hour slower might help given his inexperience over fences but if he turned up and performed he’d be a leading contender.

JAMES DU BERLAIS

Put in a great performance to win at Fairyhouse under Daryl Jacob then we ran him back in Leopardstown and he disappointed. He needs to come back to his Fairyhouse form to have any chance but I think he could.

WINTER FOG

An interesting horse. Patrick bought him from his cousin Emmet after last year’s run in the Pertemps. He’s in the County Hurdle and the Coral Cup and we’ll see what way the handicaps go. He has the speed for the County if we go there and a lot will depend on the weights we get and what else we have for the races but at the moment I’d be thinking he was an each-way player in the County.

ENERGUMENE

I was probably a little disappointed with his first run of the season at Cork even though he won but I put it down to being his reappearance and then he got beat in the rearranged Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham where he was slow at the first fence.

Even though he’d schooled over the white and brown fences, the apron at Cheltenham is green and we’ve bought some green ones for him since and he’s schooling well over them. I think we’ll see a different horse in the Champion Chase. I’m happy he’s making nice progress at home and it’s all to play for.

It was a cat-and-mouse race the last day and you’d probably keep closer order to the ones in front next time but a good jump at the first will be crucial, get the jumps in early and get your position. He can make it or drop in behind, neither is an issue for him.

DADS LAD

He’s a horse who won good races for us over both hurdles and fences and has good form around Cheltenham. He’s in the Plate and the Grand Annual and I think he’d have the speed for the latter on the forecast ground. We don’t have much of a record in the handicap chases at the Cheltenham Festival but hope to break our duck one day.

DINOBLUE

She’s in the mares’ chase and a few handicaps and we’ll see what the English handicapper thinks of her. It will be hard to see her winning a mares’ chase but we’ll have a look at her mark and maybe have a crack at a handicap.

IT’S FOR ME

Was very impressive in winning on debut and would look one of the best of ours in the bumper at the moment. He’s a light-framed horse who would go on good ground and if it came up soft, well he has form on that too.

FUN FUN FUN

Very impressive at Leopardstown. She came there off the back of a break and a short preparation, and I fully expected her to blow-up which she did coming out the back stretch but then got her second wind and took off as if she’d just jumped in at the two furlong pole. She must have a huge engine and it will be interesting to see how she goes. It looked a good race she won last time, she must be top class.

CHAPEAU DE SOLEIL

Finished second on his first run for us and I haven’t been able to get him out since. But his form is very good and if he gets there, he’s one for each-way punters.

BALLYBURN

Was very impressive at Punchestown. He pulled so hard the whole way I put down my binoculars after they’d turned for home thinking he couldn’t possibly produce a winning effort but when Patrick got stuck into him he sprinted home. That’s the sign of a real top-class horse.

FACT OR FILE

A horse I really like. It took him all day to win a two-and-a-half mile bumper at Christmas in Leopardstown but I think that was just greenness. Sure enough when we went back to two miles next time himself and John Kiely’s horse, A Dream To Share, pulled ten or 12 lengths clear of the rest but he just bumped into a cracker of a horse there. It showed he can compete over the trip though, he had a stream of previous winners behind him, but he’d probably need the ground to come up soft to be competitive at Cheltenham. He’s a horse we’ll hear a lot more about in the future though.

WESTPORT COVE

Looks a nice horse. He won nicely in Fairyhouse on testing ground and deserves his place at Cheltenham. The form of his bumper looks good.

BLUE LORD

Daryl got a great tune out of him at Christmas, and I’d say he surprised us with how he won there. I had him marked out as a two-and-a-half miler but that race, over two, was the only one that suited him at that fixture.

Of course, we went back to the two miler at the Dubin Racing Festival and he was a little disappointing in finishing second to Gentleman De Mee. Now it looks like we’ll go down the two-and-a-half-mile route and the Ryanair. I know we have Shishkin waiting for us there but with Allaho out Blue Lord looks like one of our best representatives.

I don’t think the trip will be a problem and his best chance of a win at Cheltenham this year is possibly in the Ryanair.

JANIDIL

Had a little break and came back in the Red Mills Chase where he surprised me by winning so well. It shows he still has plenty of form and it puts him in the picture for the Ryanair with an each-way chance. He was second in it last year but has Shishkin and Blue Lord in against him this time.

KLASSICAL DREAM

Had a setback. We’ve entered him in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle and at the moment he’s just about on course for it but it’s only 50-50. Everything has to go absolutely right between now and then, but he has form at the track and I’d love to get him there. It’s not a given he will though.

ASTERION FORLONGE

He’s entered in a few races over at Cheltenham and is coming along nicely but like Klassical Dream mightn’t make it there. He’ll have two big pieces of work between now and then and I’d imagine he’d go for the Stayers’ Hurdle if he makes it.

HAUT EN COULEURS

Has every chance of running in the Plate and if we get a nice mark he’ll take his chance. We’ll see nearer the time.

ASHROE DIAMOND

Goes for the mares’ novices’ hurdle and has a very good chance as she’s improving. She picked up a five-pounds penalty for winning a Grade Two the other day which will make it tougher for her however the last mare we did that with, Limini, with went on to win at Cheltenham.

NIGHT AND DAY

Goes in the same race and is a fine, big, strong mare who will jump a fence in time. She has good flat form and is going to be a very lively contender at Cheltenham. If she jumps well enough, she’ll give a very good account of herself.

LOT OF JOY

Is learning how to race over jumps. She has very good flat form and that alone would put her up in the top three in this race but she’s just taking time to settle and conserve her energy for the second part of the race which is where you normally win them. Hopefully the much faster pace at Chetenham will be a huge help and she’ll be able to settle and use her talent from the last hurdle where it would be more effective than it has been in her last two runs. One hurdle in the last six furlongs would be a huge help to her and she can use her flat speed providing she has settled.

MR INCREDIBLE

Has had two starts for us and was brought down on the first at Leopardstown and then produced a terrific run to finish second in the Classic Chase at Warwick. That run gives him a huge chance in the Kim Muir.

Sky Bet Cheltenham Festival 2023 Specials - Number of Willie Mullins-trained winners

• Under 6 winners - 6/1
• 6-7 winners inclusive - 7/2
• 8-9 winners inclusive - 5/2
• Over 9 winners - 11/10

Click here for the latest odds and offers

LOSSIEMOUTH

She looks a cut above most of the juvenile hurdlers this season and was unlucky when beaten by Gala Marceau, who she beat herself over Christmas, at the Dublin Racing Festival.

She’s really laid back and is by Great Pretender who was the sire of Benie Des Dieux. I like her, the occasion won’t get to her at Cheltenham and even though I thought she had a hard enough race last time, she came out of it well.

She has it all, she jumps well and settles, Paul can put her anywhere he wants in a race. There’s a lot to like about her and a few of these will have to step up to match her.

BLOOD DESTINY

He’s two from two and I elected not to run him at the Dublin Racing Festival to keep him fresher for Cheltenham. His form is coming out on the right side all the time, he comfortably beat Saturday’s Adonis Hurdle winner Nusret, and I think he has every chance even though we have two good mares in there against him. His form is right up there with those two. He’s bang up there and probably open to more improvement than the others.

GALA MARCEAU

Might have been a fortunate winner last time but did win it and that counts for plenty. I think she can improve and like Lot Of Joy is just taking a while to get that flat racing out of her system and learn to settle and jump properly. She was very keen on both her runs for us so far and a faster pace in the Triumph will be a big help as will the experience she has gained already.

EMBASSY GARDENS

Owned by Sean and Bernadine Mulryan who sponsor the Ballymore but he was very good over a longer trip at Thurles and it looks like he will go for the Albert Bartlett. He seems much more at home over three miles and the race looks made for him.

SHANBALLY KID

Won at Navan and might go for the Albert Bartlett too. He won over two-and-a-half last time but his jumping needs a lot if improvement. Possibly going a little slower over three miles will be a help and he has the pedigree to be there at the business end of the race.

GALOPIN DES CHAMPS

He’s been very good since the Irish Gold Cup which was his first time at three miles over fences. I was very happy with how he raced there for Paul. I don’t think the slow pace suited him, horses that shouldn’t have been round him turning for home were and still going well.

Paul said it took him a while to get him going. His training this year has been very different, we haven’t been hard on him to keep the lid on him and it’s working. Paul said he was only getting going as he went through the line, and it took him a couple of furlongs to pull up. We’re very happy with how we stand with him.

He probably has more speed than Al Boum Photo but we know that horse stayed all day and this fellow has to prove his stamina at Cheltenham but there’s every chance he will.

STATTLER

Has a real live chance for each-way backers in the Gold Cup. He won at Cheltenham last year in the National Hunt Chase over three miles five furlongs but has the speed to win over much shorter, in fact in the right race I think he could win at two miles.

With a clear round, given his stamina and speed, he is every inch an each-way player in the Gold Cup.

CAPODANNO

Has Grade One form over three miles and is in the Gold Cup and needs every inch of the trip. We ran him back in the Red Mills to qualify him for the Grand National. I think he’s good enough to go for the Gold Cup on his form, but he looks like he has a nice weight at Aintree and now he’s qualified maybe that’s a more realistic aim at this stage of his career.

BILLAWAY

Goes for a repeat win in the St. James's Place Festival Challenge Cup but is a horse who makes life hard for himself. He always throws in a bad jump or gets himself out of position in a race. He got up in the shadows of the post in his last run – and to win this last year – and has every chance but being a year older it will be tougher for him.

ALLEGORIE DE VASSY

She’s just a natural jumper and did a lot of schooling in France before we bought her and went hurdling but she is a novice taking on more experienced rivals in the mares’ chase. Colreevy did it as a novice, Elimay was second in her year, but it’s always a bit of a risk.

She seems to have so much class though. She’s by the same sire as Allaho, No Risk At All, and has done everything right. The horse she beat 19 lengths, Brides Hill, won a Listed mares chase at Thurles the other day, beating a Cheltenham Festival winner in Telmesomethinggirl and her form is stacking up all the time.

The lack of experience over fences is my only worry but she does seem a natural.

ELIMAY

Goes for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase which she won last season but it’s going to be tougher this year as her prep hasn’t been as good. She was placed at Naas the other day and will need to improve an awful lot on that to get back to where she was last year however, she came out of it well and is working well. She’d have an each-way chance.

DOLCITA

Missed her prep run with a little setback but has been doing everything right at home. It’s a tough ask for her but she too would have each-way prospects.

SPANISH HARLEM

Now qualified for the handicaps and would look an ideal candidate for the Martin Pipe but whether he’s mature enough to go for that this year I’m not sure. We’ll see what weight he gets and we might just keep him at home and go down the Fairyhouse-Punchestown route.

HAUTURIERE

We've entered her in a couple of handicaps. We’ll look at her mark and see what direction to go but she could also stay at home and go the domestic route.

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