Cheltenham Festival 2026 Stable Tour - Willie Mullins' Runners
Legendary trainer Willie Mullins shares detailed insights into his strategy for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival. He discusses potential runners for each day of the festival, with highlights including Lossiemouth considering options between the Champion and Mares' Hurdle, and Galopin Des Champs aiming for the Gold Cup. Mullins emphasizes the importance of assessing each horse's form and pedigree to make strategic decisions. With a focus on key races, the stable tour sheds light on Mullins' preparation strategies and the horses poised to create an impact at Cheltenham.
- Willie Mullins' stable tour ahead of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival
- Mullins spoke to AtTheRaces this week
- Read exclusive quotes about Galopin Des Champs, Lossiemouth, Fact To File and more
- Willie Mullins Cheltenham Festival 2026 Stable Tour
- Day One Runners
- Lossiemouth - Champion Hurdle or Mares' Hurdle
- Poniros - Champion Hurdle
- Anzadam - Champion Hurdle
- Ballyburn - Champion Hurdle or Stayers' Hurdle
- Mighty Park - Supreme Novices' Hurdle or Turners
- Leader D'Allier - Supreme Novices' Hurdle
- Kopek Des Bordes - Arkle Challenge Trophy
- Kargese - Arkle Challenge Trophy
- Day Two Runners
- Majborough - Champion Chase
- Il Etait Temps - Champion Chase
- King Rasko Grey - Turners Novices' Hurdle
- Final Demand - Brown Advisory Novices' Chase
- Love Sign D'Aunou - Champion Bumper
- Day Three Runners
- Fact To File - Ryanair Chase or Gold Cup
- Gaelic Warrior - Ryanair Chase or Gold Cup
- Bambino Fever - Mares' Novices' Hurdle
- Day Four Runners
- Galopin Des Champs - Gold Cup
- Nick Rockett - Gold Cup
- Spindleberry - Gold Cup or Mares' Chase
- Narciso Has - Triumph Hurdle
- Proactif - Triumph Hurdle or Supreme
- Selma De Vary - Triumph Hurdle
- Doctor Steinberg - Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle or Turners
- Sortudo - Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle or Turners
- Dinoblue - Mares' Chase
- Jade De Grugy - Mares' Chase or Mares' Hurdle
- Storm Heart - County Hurdle or Coral Cup
- Unlikely Runners
- Laurets D'Estruval
- Impaire Et Passe
- Salvator Mundi
Willie Mullins spoke exclusively to AtTheRaces this week and ran through his plans for the feature festival of the National Hunt season. Read key quotes about his possible runners at the Cheltenham Festival.
*All quotes attributed to AtTheRaces*
Willie Mullins Cheltenham Festival 2026 Stable Tour
Day One Runners
Lossiemouth - Champion Hurdle or Mares' Hurdle
She was disappointing at the Dublin Racing Festival. It’s a very open Champion Hurdle and I’ll have a good word with Rich Ricci and see what he thinks about it. A lot will depend on how the mare is herself. The form she was in the other day wouldn’t cut the mustard, so she might be better off going to a Mares’ Hurdle if she was in that sort of form.
Poniros - Champion Hurdle
The owners are happy enough to let him run in the Champion Hurdle. Hopefully we can have a top four or five finish. I think that is probably the best that we can achieve.
Anzadam - Champion Hurdle
I've tried a couple of things with him, and I have a couple of more things to try that I hope will make him competitive. I've been a little disappointed with what he has done this season, but I haven't given up hope on him yet. It's a very open Champion Hurdle.
Ballyburn - Champion Hurdle or Stayers' Hurdle
He is entered in the Champion Hurdle, but his pedigree would probably rule him out of it. I'm not sure if he has anything fast in his pedigree.
Mighty Park - Supreme Novices' Hurdle or Turners
When Mark Walsh got off him the last day, he said he looked around before the second last and couldn’t believe how far in front he was. He said his cruising speed must be huge and that he is a fantastic jumper. I think he has to be right in the mix for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. A horse that wins by that distance, you sort of think he is in Faugheen-type territory. Those things don't happen very often. From day one I thought he was good enough to win a Champion Bumper with what he was showing me at home.
Leader D'Allier - Supreme Novices' Hurdle
He was disappointing over Christmas, but the style of his win the other day at Punchestown puts him right in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with a chance. He has plenty of experience as he ran in six Flat races in France.
Kopek Des Bordes - Arkle Challenge Trophy
We are up against it with his lack of experience over fences. It is well known how he did the other day in his piece of work. They went two miles over fences at racing speed. That was our objective and he worked very well. I wanted to do what a race at Leopardstown would do and I wanted to bring him to a race meeting on a race day, but I didn't want the hardship that running in the Irish Arkle would entail. He did it well and the further he went, the better he jumped.
Kargese - Arkle Challenge Trophy
She looks set to go to the Arkle. That was a tremendous run from her at the Dublin Racing Festival. I was delighted with her.
Day Two Runners
Majborough - Champion Chase
I'm always happy enough with his jumping. It's more or less about getting him right and he came right for the Dublin Racing Festival. Mark is happy with him and all roads lead to the Champion Chase.
Il Etait Temps - Champion Chase
He surprised me last year with what he did at Sandown. I was hoping he could do that at Ascot last time, but he didn’t. I think we can get him back to the Queen Mother Champion Chase with his spark back again.
King Rasko Grey - Turners Novices' Hurdle
He was third to what I think are the two best novice hurdlers in Ireland at the Dublin Racing Festival. He should come on from that run and is right in the mix. I think he has enough speed for the Supreme, but with his run the other day, you might be thinking Turners.
Final Demand - Brown Advisory Novices' Chase
He wasn’t himself the last day. We were looking to see if it was the ground or if we were missing something at home. We’re changing a few things with him at home to see if that helps. We think he has the ability, but we just want to get that spark back into him.
Love Sign D'Aunou - Champion Bumper
That was a huge performance by him at Naas. I always love horses that can win at those big metropolitan tracks over Christmas or just after it by over 10 lengths. It was a deep enough race as well. He hammered them and it was a huge run. What I loved about it was that he never really showed me that at home.
Day Three Runners
Fact To File - Ryanair Chase or Gold Cup
There has been no decision yet, but it was very impressive what he did in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown. I'm just going to get him ready to run in Cheltenham.
Gaelic Warrior - Ryanair Chase or Gold Cup
He had a hard race in the King George and again at Leopardstown in the Irish Gold Cup. I thought the way that he ran in Leopardstown was an ideal run for a Ryanair Chase. He is a horse that has a very good record at Cheltenham.
Bambino Fever - Mares' Novices' Hurdle
The Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle is her target. We know she jumps, we know she stays the trip, we know she goes on the ground, and we know she handles the track. We have a lot of positives going there and I’d be hoping she’ll be back to herself by then.
Day Four Runners
Galopin Des Champs - Gold Cup
He had a very hard race at Christmas, and I feel that race impacted his finish in the Irish Gold Cup. I think soft ground at the Festival would be a help to him. I still think he can be competitive.
Nick Rockett - Gold Cup
His owner wants to run in the Gold Cup, but I am not quite sure we will get him there. He has had a few little niggles this season. He rode out this morning and we were happy, but he needs to show me this every day.
Spindleberry - Gold Cup or Mares' Chase
She has entries in the Mares’ Chase and the Gold Cup, but we will see what the owners want to do.
Narciso Has - Triumph Hurdle
He’s a beautiful big horse who gallops and jumps. He has been compared to the likes of Majborough as he’s got strength, the kind of strength that you don’t see in too many four-year-olds. Apart from his maturity, he’s strong. He looks a really, really good horse who is still improving. The Triumph Hurdle is his target.
Proactif - Triumph Hurdle or Supreme
He is entered in the Triumph Hurdle, but JP McManus said to be sure to enter him for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle too. I always like to have a reserve for that race, but I think there is a difference in what he has done compared to my team in the race.
Selma De Vary - Triumph Hurdle
I was very impressed with her last run. Her jump at the second last was fantastic. Imagine she was able to do that at the last as well? I think she is well entitled to run in the Triumph Hurdle off the back of that run.
Doctor Steinberg - Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle or Turners
I was watching him the other day, I’m looking at how he pulled and dragged his jockey through the race, and I don’t think he could do that for three miles around Cheltenham. He’d have a faster pace in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle. I’ll leave it up to Paul Townend. Maybe he’ll find some way of riding him differently. He rode him from the front the other day. You could ride him differently in the Albert Bartlett, cover him up and get him to settle. If he told me he could get him to settle, then we’d probably run him in the Albert Bartlett. That’ll be crucial, how Paul wants to ride him.
Sortudo - Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle or Turners
We decided this morning to leave him in the Supreme and the Turners as well as the Albert Bartlett. He won over two miles at Cork and made us think he’s got more speed than we had given him credit for. Then he was second over two-and-a-half miles in Naas when the last two hurdles were missing, and Patrick said that if he’d jumped them, he’d have won. Maybe he’s an Albert Bartlett horse.
Dinoblue - Mares' Chase
She will go back to the Mares’ Chase, all being well.
Jade De Grugy - Mares' Chase or Mares' Hurdle
She's in the Mares’ Hurdle still, but I'm not sure yet what we will do with her. We have kept her in there just in case.
Storm Heart - County Hurdle or Coral Cup
He’ll be entered in the County Hurdle and the Coral Cup. He will definitely go for one of them, but I’m not sure which one yet.
Unlikely Runners
Laurets D'Estruval
We've left him in all three novice hurdles at Cheltenham. He had a small problem after he came to us, but when that happens, I put them aside rather than rush them back. When they have a problem, we give them more time rather than less time. He looks a real decent horse.
Impaire Et Passe
He is in the Red Mills Chase at Gowran this weekend. He is one I feel could skip Cheltenham and maybe go to Aintree instead.
Salvator Mundi
Looking at his race the other day you’d have to be thinking of going to Cheltenham. Though, he has had two poor runs at Cheltenham and won at Aintree last year, so that might be the way that we are thinking.
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