Can Willie Mullins Rule Cheltenham Again in 2025? And How Many Winners Will He Have?
Willie Mullins’ journey from his first training license in 1988 to becoming the most dominant force in National Hunt racing is a remarkable tale of sustained excellence.
His breakthrough moment came in 1995 when Tourist Attraction, a 25-1 outsider ridden by Mark Dwyer, claimed victory in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
This initial success proved to be just the beginning of an extraordinary career.
The scale of Mullins’ achievements is staggering. He has been crowned Champion National Hunt Trainer in Ireland for seventeen consecutive years, winning the title eighteen times in total.
His dominance extends beyond Ireland’s borders – in 2024, he made history by becoming the first Irish-based trainer in 70 years to win the British National Hunt trainers’ championship.
During the 2023/24 season, he set multiple world records, including training 39 Grade 1 winners and sending out 257 winners in a single Irish jumps season.
The Cheltenham Festival has become synonymous with Mullins’ excellence. His 103 Festival winners represent nearly a quarter of all Cheltenham successes in the past decade alone.
His peak came in 2022 when he trained an unprecedented ten winners during the four-day festival. Most recently, he achieved a historic milestone when Jasmin De Vaux, ridden by his son Patrick, became his 100th Cheltenham Festival winner.
His training operation at Closutton in County Kilkenny has evolved into a powerhouse of National Hunt racing.
Willie Mullins’ success is built on his ability to consistently develop champion horses across all categories, from novice hurdlers to Gold Cup winners.
His methodical approach, combined with an exceptional eye for talent, has resulted in victories in virtually every major race in the National Hunt calendar, including multiple Champion Hurdles, Queen Mother Champion Chases, and Stayers’ Hurdles.
So as we head into the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, can he continue his dominance?
Current Form
Willie Mullins’ dominance at the 2025 Dublin Racing Festival showcased the extraordinary depth of his stable heading into Cheltenham.
At Leopardstown, he secured seven winners from 53 runners across the two-day festival, including six Grade 1 victories.
This performance, while slightly below his 2024 feat when he won all eight Grade 1s, still demonstrated his overwhelming strength.
The highlight of the festival was Galopin Des Champs’ historic third Irish Gold Cup victory, where he powered away from his rivals to win by four and three-quarter lengths.
This performance prompted bookmakers to cut his odds to 8-13 for an unprecedented third consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Beyond Galopin Des Champs, Mullins’ festival team includes several other leading contenders.
Final Demand delivered an imperious victory in the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle, while Kopek Des Bordes emerged as a serious Supreme Novices’ Hurdle prospect after an impressive 13-length victory.
What makes Mullins’ current position particularly formidable is not just the quality at the top of his stable, but the depth throughout.
His dominance at the Dublin Racing Festival continues a pattern established since the event’s inception in 2018, during which he has accumulated 54 winners, including 40 Grade 1 victories.
This record far outstrips his nearest rival, Gordon Elliott, who has managed just 16 winners in the same period.
His current stable appears poised to potentially challenge his own record for winners at a single Cheltenham Festival, with strong representation across all the major championship races.
2025 Festival Prospects
Willie Mullins’ prospects for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival appear exceptionally strong across all the championship races.
In the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, which opens the Festival on Tuesday, March 11, Kopek des Bordes has established himself as a clear favourite.
His commanding position in the betting suggests he could provide Mullins with another victory in this prestigious curtain-raiser.
The Champion Hurdle presents an intriguing battle. Constitution Hill currently leads the market, with Mullins’ defending champion State Man on longer odds.
The race promises to be one of the highlights of the Festival, with Constitution Hill returning after missing last year’s renewal where State Man claimed victory.
The Gold Cup, which takes place on Friday, March 14, could see Mullins make history with Galopin Des Champs.
He enters the race seeking a remarkable third consecutive Gold Cup victory. His recent performance in winning the Irish Gold Cup has reinforced his position as favourite.
The field of 15 entries includes several other Mullins-trained contenders, including Fact To File and Monty’s Star.
Beyond these championship races, Mullins has assembled a formidable team across all four days of the Festival.
His recent dominance at the Dublin Racing Festival, where he secured six Grade 1 victories, suggests his stable is in peak form heading into Cheltenham.
Statistical Dominance
Willie Mullins’ statistical achievements in National Hunt racing represent an unprecedented level of dominance in the sport.
His current season’s performance, with 135 winners from 552 runners, translates to a strike rate of nearly 25%, significantly higher than the industry average of around 15%.
This remarkable consistency has helped him accumulate prize money exceeding €2.4 million already this season, putting him on track to surpass his own record of €6.8 million earned in a single season.
Looking at his career numbers, the achievement of over 4,155 winners from 18,011 starts becomes even more impressive when considering the competitive nature of National Hunt racing.
His 23% career strike rate has been maintained over three decades, demonstrating remarkable consistency at the highest level.
In the 2023/24 season alone, he shattered multiple records, including training 39 Grade 1 winners – a world record that surpassed his own previous best of 27 Grade 1 victories in a season.
The financial impact of Mullins’ success is equally notable. Since 2008, his stable has generated over €55 million in prize money, with his horses earning an average of €4.8 million per season.
This financial success has allowed him to continually reinvest in top-quality bloodstock, creating a virtuous cycle of success that shows no signs of slowing down.
Perhaps most impressive is Mullins’ record at the highest level of competition. Of his total career winners, more than 450 have come in Grade 1 races, with a strike rate in these elite contests of nearly 30%.
His ability to prepare horses for the biggest occasions is further evidenced by his Cheltenham Festival record, where his 103 winners have come at a strike rate of 27%, significantly higher than any other trainer with more than 50 Festival winners.
Looking Ahead
With his stable continuing to strengthen and his ability to source and develop talent showing no signs of diminishing, Mullins appears well-positioned to extend his remarkable record at the Festival.
His current form suggests he could challenge his own record for winners at a single Festival, particularly given his strong hand in the novice divisions.
The transformation from his first Festival winner 30 years ago to his current position as the dominant force in National Hunt racing represents one of the most remarkable achievements in modern horse racing history.
With over 100 Festival winners and counting, Willie Mullins has redefined what’s possible in National Hunt training, setting standards that may never be matched.
