Willie Mullins secure tour: Closutton maestro assesses his 2025/26 Nationwide Hunt contenders

Willie Mullins secured his first champion coach title in Eire in 2000/1, however it has been because the 2007/8 marketing campaign that he has taken his efficiency to beforehand unheard-of ranges.

The 69-year-old has been topped champion coach each season since then and has frequently raised the bar when it comes to the document for variety of winners in an Irish Nationwide Hunt marketing campaign, with him setting a brand new document of 257 winners through the 2023/24 season.

Properly established as essentially the most profitable Irish-based coach within the historical past of the Cheltenham Pageant with 113 winners on the assembly, Mullins has skilled a sequence of family names equivalent to Florida Pearl, Hedgehunter, Quevega, Hurricane Fly, Faugheen and Galopin Des Champs.

Such is the energy of Mullins’ crew for the upcoming season, ATR’s Kevin Blake divided them into older and youthful horses earlier than talking to him about their prospects. Here’s what Willie needed to say about his novice chasers, older hurdlers and older chasers.

Anzadam

5 b g | Approved – Astaradame

A 157-rated hurdler, he’s unbeaten in 4 begins over hurdles together with a formidable profitable Irish debut in a Grade Three hurdle at Fairyhouse in November and a equally spectacular victory in one other Grade Three at Naas in January.

Mullins stated: “He seems to have sufficient potential to be despatched down the Champion Hurdle route. We had a number of bits of hassle with him final season, however up to now this season he has been good. He has the power, he has the engine, simply typically his coaching schedule will get interrupted.

“If we get a clear run at him, we have the Fighting Fifth Hurdle in mind as his starting point. He’s owned by the same connections as State Man, so rather than them both running in the Morgiana, it will make sense to split them up.”

Ballyburn

7 b g | Flemensfirth – Previous Moon

A 162-rated hurdler, he gained two of his 5 begins in novice chases final season together with the Ladbrokes Novice Chase on the Dublin Racing Pageant.

“Ballyburn didn’t really seem to enjoy his time over fences last season and the plan is to send him back hurdling with the Stayers’ Hurdle as his long-term aim. We brought him back in early and did a lot of ground work with him to get him good and strong. He can of course go back over fences if we want to do that, but hurdling is what is on our minds for him for now.”

Champ Kiely

9 b g Ocovango – Cregg So

A 158-rated chaser, he gained three of his 5 begins in novice chases together with the Dooley Insurance coverage Group Champion Novice Chase on the Punchestown Pageant.

“He’s improving and would look a candidate for the King George. We might start him off in the Clonmel Oil Chase or the John Durkan.”

Dinoblue

8 ch m | Physician Dino – Blue Aster

A 160-rated chaser, she has gained eight of her 16 begins over fences together with the Mrs Paddy Energy Mares’ Chase on the Cheltenham Pageant final season.

“She’s come back into the yard in great shape. We’ll send her down the same route as last season and will look to end up in the Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. The more forward tactics paid off for her in the race last season.”

El Fabiolo

8 b g Spanish Moon – Sainte Mante

A 168-rated chaser, he has gained six of his eight accomplished begins over fences together with 4 Grade One races, however fell in three of his 4 begins final season.

“He had a difficult season between setbacks and falls. Going back over hurdles has crossed our minds, but I suspect we’ll stay chasing. I wasn’t happy with him when he came back in from grass, he didn’t do as well as the other horses, so I set his training schedule back by six weeks and that means he won’t run before Christmas.”

Embassy Gardens

9 b g | Shantou – Adriana Des Mottes

A 160-rated chaser, he has gained three of his seven begins over fences together with the O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey New 12 months’s Day Chase at Tramore final season.

“He finished lame at Aintree last season and he’s not back in with us yet.”

Reality To File

8 b g | Poliglote – Mitemps

A 173-rated chaser, he has gained 5 of his 9 begins over fences together with the Ryanair Chase on the Cheltenham Pageant in March.

“He’s obviously a Ryanair or Gold Cup type. JP McManus owns the Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin, so he might want to keep them apart, we’ll have to cross those bridges when we get to them. We think the King George would be a lovely race for him and he is one of a few of ours that are in the mix for that.”

Ultimate Demand

6 b g | Stroll In The Park – Zuzka

A 158-rated hurdler, he gained three of his 4 begins over hurdles final season together with Grade One races on the Dublin Racing Pageant and the Punchestown Pageant.

“He’s a really exciting horse for novice chases and will be one for the staying division. He’s a huge horse, well over 17hh, and he has lots of scope to jump. We won’t worry too much about what trip we start him off over, but as the season progresses and he goes up in grade, he’ll go up in trip.”

Gaelic Warrior

7 b g | Maxios – Recreation Of Legs

A 165-rated chaser, he has gained 5 of his 9 begins over fences together with the Bowl Chase at Aintree and the Oaksey Chase at Sandown final season.

“I’ve always thought that he had no trouble staying. He jumps to his right, but it doesn’t stop him winning left handed. He’ll start off in the John Durkan and then his target is the King George. We’ll see after that, but looking at his age and profile, I feel he could be a coming force in the Gold Cup.”

Galopin Des Champs

9 bl g | Timos – Manon Des Champs

A 176-rated chaser, he has gained 12 of his 18 begins over fences together with 11 Grade one contests, most notably two renewals of the Gold Cup on the Cheltenham Pageant.

“We keep it nice and simple with Galopin Des Champs and the same five races as last season are the plan for him. We talked about maybe giving him one race less this season, but he was brilliant at the Punchestown Festival and we’ll put him on the same schedule again. All seems great with him since he’s come back in.”

Gameofinches

6 br g Blue Bresil – Wild Blueberry

A profitable point-to-pointer, he gained a bumper at Punchestown in February previous to ending mid-division within the Champion Bumper on the Cheltenham Pageant.

“He’s a huge horse and his summer break has done him the power of good. He’s turning seven and with the size of him, we don’t think he’d have much respect for hurdles, so I think we’re going to go straight over fences with him. He looks a staying type.”

Il Etait Temps

7 gr g | Jukebox Jury – Une Des Sources

A 169-rated chaser, he has gained 5 of his seven begins over fences and made a shocking return from an absence of a yr when profitable the Celebration Stakes at Sandown in April.

“We are aiming him at the Tingle Creek Chase. We don’t usually like to go there with horses having their first run of the season, but he performed so well when fresh in the Celebration Chase that it made us think it might be an option. He could possibly go for the Clonmel Oil Chase first if he’s ready and the ground is suitable, otherwise we’ll go to Sandown without a run. Based on what he showed at Sandown, he looks likely to be a big player in the two-mile chase division.”

Impaire Et Passe

7 b g Diamond Boy – Brune Ecossaise

A 158-rated chaser, he gained three of his 5 begins in novice chases final season together with the Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick’s Christmas assembly.

“He would look an obvious candidate for the John Durkan and then end up in the Ryanair Chase. We would be open to trying him over longer trips again.”

Jade De Grugy

6 b m | Physician Dino – Diane De Grugy

A 150-rated hurdler, she has gained 5 of her seven begins over hurdles together with the Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle on the Punchestown Pageant.

“I’d like to go novice chasing with her, but we’ll have to see. I need to discuss it with her owners and school her over fences before we make a decision.”

Kargese

5 b m | Jeu St Eloi – Rive Gauche

A 152-rated hurdler, she has gained 5 of her 11 begins over hurdles together with the County Hurdle on the Cheltenham Pageant final season.

“We are undecided as to whether to stay hurdling or go novice chasing with her. We’ll school her over fences and see what her owners would like to do before deciding.”

Kitzbuhel

5 gr g | Cokoriko – Valgardena

A 153-rated hurdler, he gained two of his 4 begins over hurdles after becoming a member of Mullins final season.

“He’ll be one for novice chasing and looks one for the staying division. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet.”

Kopek Des Bordes

5 b g No Danger At All – Miss Berry

A 158-rated hurdler, he gained three of his 4 begins in novice hurdles final season together with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on the Cheltenham Pageant.

“He’s going novice chasing. He is every inch a chaser and I’m really looking forward to seeing him race over a fence. He’s a very keen horse and I think fences will help him settle. He could be careless at his hurdles last season, but he should respect fences more and I think he’ll be well suited by them. He looks one for the Arkle.”

Lecky Watson

7 ch g | Valirann – Anno Whyte

A 159-rated chaser, he gained three of his 4 begins in novice chases final season together with the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase on the Cheltenham Pageant.

“He had a great season and got a great ride to win the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. He’s rated 159, so he’d have the option of a Grand National campaign, but he went so well at Cheltenham last season that you’d be tempted to run him in the Gold Cup if all goes well to that point.”

Lossiemouth

6 gr f | Nice Pretender – Mariner’s Gentle

A 159-rated hurdler, she has gained 11 of her 14 begins over hurdles together with the Triumph Hurdle on the Cheltenham Pageant in 2023 and the final two renewals of the Mares’ Hurdle on the identical assembly.

“We’ll look to get her started in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle. After that, you’ll all just have to guess which race she’ll go for! I don’t want to get into the hassle we had last season with last-minute changes. She’ll tell us how she is, but she’d look very tough to beat in the Mares’ Hurdle if we pointed her that way.”

Majborough

5 b g | Martinborough – Janimone

A 164-rated chaser, he gained three of his 4 begins in novice chases final season together with Grade One races on the Dublin Racing Pageant and on the Punchestown Pageant.

“The plan is to start him off in the Hilly Way Chase. It was a big surprise to us that he made the jumping mistakes that he did at Cheltenham. It wasn’t like him at all. We just want to work out whether jumping at two-mile pace is an issue for him, whether we got the riding tactics wrong or whether it was just a one off.

“Our inclination is to begin him off over two miles and if he jumps effectively, he may effectively keep at round that journey. If his leaping hints that he may want a change, we have now the choice of going up with journey. He seems stronger than ever this season.”

Nick Rockett

8 b g | Walk In The Park – Eireann Rose

A 169-rated chaser, he has won four of his nine starts over fences including the Grand National at Aintree in April.

“To me he’s fairly entitled to be entered within the Gold Cup. Nevertheless, taking a look at how a lot of a pure he was over the Grand Nationwide fences, that’s all the time at the back of our thoughts. It’ll most likely be a case of getting him began in graded firm and assessing his performances to see if we predict he has improved sufficient to warrant a shot on the Gold Cup.”

Poniros

4 b g | Golden Horn – Rue Renan

A 149-rated hurdler, he made a profitable hurdling debut within the Triumph Hurdle on the Cheltenham Pageant and went on to complete second to Lulamba within the equal race on the Punchestown Pageant.

“We won’t be in a rush with him and I’d say he won’t run until after Christmas. It’s tough for them when four rising five and I’m happy to give them an easier time in this season. We might look to run him over two-and-a-half miles and avoid the Champion Hurdle horses.”

Salvator Mundi

5 b g | No Danger At All – Stacicaya

A 156-rated hurdler, he has gained three of his seven begins over hurdles together with the High Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree in April.

“He’s a very strong-going horse. The Donnellys have State Man and Anzadam already, but I think this fella could be another one of Champion Hurdle quality if he was asked to do that. However, looking at how keen he is in his races, we’re going to go over fences with him and give him the chance to be an Arkle horse.

“He has enormous capacity, much more than he has proven on the monitor up to now. If he settles higher over fences, he’ll hopefully present on the monitor what he has proven us at residence.”

Spindleberry

7 b m | Policy Maker – Sapphire Rouge

A 149-rated chaser, she won all three of her starts over fences last season including the WillowWarm Gold Cup at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival.

“The apparent factor to do together with her is purpose for the Mares’ Chase on the Cheltenham Pageant. She may begin off within the mares’ chase at Clonmel. Her type may counsel that she is a right-handed mare, however that is simply the best way the races fell and I am positive she’ll be fantastic going left handed.”

State Man

8 ch g | Doctor Dino – Arret Station

A 167-rated hurdler, he has won 14 of his 20 starts over hurdles including 12 Grade One races.

“He was simply very unfortunate within the Champion Hurdle final season. That confirmed all of us what Paul Townend had been telling me about him. He had little doubt in his thoughts that he was going to experience State Man within the Champion Hurdle even when Lossiemouth turned up.

“He has always had State Man way ahead of her. It didn’t look that way at times last season, but State Man is an older, lazier horse and was only doing half what he was capable of until we put the cheekpieces on him. Those Doctor Dinos can be lazy and the cheekpieces were a huge help to him. We’ll look to start him in the Morgiana and put him on a similar schedule to last season.”