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How Many Cheltenham Festival Winners Has Willie Mullins Had?

Kyle CurranKyle Curran7 min read
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How Many Cheltenham Festival Winners Has Willie Mullins Had?

With the biggest jumps meeting of the season fast approaching, all eyes will once again turn to a certain Irish trainer. As ever, he’ll have the punters on his side – so how many Cheltenham Festival winners has Willie Mullins trained over the years? 

How Many Cheltenham Festival Winners Has Willie Mullins Had As A Trainer? 

There is no trainer in the history of the Cheltenham Festival that has had more winners over the week than Willie Mullins and you’ll be able to watch it all unfold on ITV Racing once again. 

The 19-time Irish Champion trainer has racked up a sensational 113 Cheltenham Festival winners over the years since his first when Tourist Attraction landed the 1995 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. 

Mullins continued his dominance last year when he equalled his own tally of 10 winners during the week – and it could have been more after he missed out on the Gold Cup with hot favourite Galopin Des Champs. 

There’s no doubt that 2026 will see the Closutton maestro head over the Irish sea with a strong hand this year but it looks to be one of the most open Festivals in recent memory. 

Mullins has also been top trainer at the meeting 12 times and there is no surprise that he is long odds-on to win that award again. 

2024 was a special year for Mullins when he ploughed into the 100-winners mark after Jasmin De Vaux won the Champion Bumper – a race he has won a record 14 times. 

WATCH: Jasmin De Vaux Seals 100 Cheltenham Festival Winners For Willie Mullins

With 14 wins in the race, the Champion Bumper is the one that Mullins has won the most out of any of the others. However, the Mares’ Hurdle isn’t too far behind with 11 victories, thanks to star mare Quevega winning it six times on the bounce from 2009-2014. 

But the Willie Mullins Cheltenham Festival winners don’t just stop as a trainer, he also won there as a jockey. Notably he steered a horse he trained in Wither Or Which to victory in the Champion Bumper back in 1996. 

Despite his domination, there are still seven Cheltenham races that Mullins hasn’t won yet. These include the Ultima, Fred Winter, Grand Annual, Cross Country, Pertempts, Plate and Kim Muir. 

2026 Willie Mullins Cheltenham Festival Runners To Watch

Undoubtedly any horse that Mullins sends over to Prestbury Park is one to keep an eye out for but there are a few in particular that could be worth having on your side. 

Fact To File – Ryanair or Gold Cup

After Fact To File romped home in the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival just a few weeks ago, plenty thought he’d be heading to the British equivalent. 

If connections did opt to go to the Gold Cup, he would need supplementing for £25,000 – which is tempting given the Cheltenham prize money available on the day. But the betting suggests that he may go back to try and retain his Ryanair crown. 

The JP McManus-owned nine-year-old won the budget airline sponsored race last year by nine lengths under a hands and heels ride from Mark Walsh and there’s every chance he could return for a repeat success. 

With Mullins having multiple options for the Gold Cup, which headlines the Friday of Cheltenham Festival week, he could just drop Fact To File back down to two-and-a-half miles. 

According to the bookies, Fact To File is 5/4 to win the Ryanair and 9/2 for the Gold Cup. 

WATCH: Fact To File Dazzles In Irish Gold Cup

Gaelic Warrior – Ryanair or Gold Cup

Much like stablemate and seasonal rival Fact To File, where Gaelic Warrior goes at Cheltenham is not yet decided. 

The positive for Gaelic Warrior is that he does not need supplementing, as he holds an entry in both the Ryanair and Gold Cup. 

There’s no denying that the son of Maxios acts well around Cheltenham after winning the Arkle in 2024 and being runner up at the track the two seasons prior to that. 

Patrick Mullins, who is the assistant trainer and son of Willie seems to be favouring the Gold Cup for Gaelic Warrior – and if that is the case, he would also potentially ride him. 

The Rich and Susannah Ricci-owned horse is priced up at 11/2 for the Gold Cup and 6/1 for the Ryanair. 

Majborough – Champion Chase

Hot favourite for last year’s Arkle before jumping mistakes lost him the race, Majborough returns to the Gloustershire venue this time around as 13/8 market leader for Wednesdays feature race.

He arrives in the Champion Chase after beating reigning champion Marine Nationale by 19 lengths at Leopardstown where his jumping was the best it’s ever been.

The six-year-old was the 2024 Triumph Hurdle winner and had he had a clear round of jumping last year he could have been looking for a third straight Festival success.

This year’s Champion Chase doesn’t look very strong and he may prove tough to beat – but only if he jumps like he did last time out.

Lossiemouth – Champion Hurdle or Mares’ Hurdle

For the third year in a row, the season long debate of which race Lossiemouth will run in has continued.

She’s excellent at Cheltenham and she’d go close in whichever race she runs in, but will she end up in the Champion Hurdle or look to become a three-time Mares’ Hurdle winner?

Whilst she clearly wasn’t at her best the last day when losing the Irish Champion Hurdle to Brighterdaysahead, her unbeaten record at Cheltenham (4/4) suggests she would likely reverse the form if they were to rematch again here. It’s currently 1-1 for the season and we may see them meet for a third time in the Champion Hurdle.

The easier race is the Mares’ Hurdle where she would have improving mare Wodhooh to contest with but there’s confidence in whatever direction the yard go that Lossiemouth will take the beating.

Willie’s star mare is 7/4 for the Mares’ and 7/2 for the Champion Hurdle.

WATCH: Lossiemouth Secures Second Mares’ Hurdle Win

Honourable Mentions To Keep An Eye Out For

2025 Supreme hero Kopek Des Bordes heads to the Arkle on the back of one run over fences. Confidence is high in the camp after an “electric” schooling session, but since 2010 only five novices have ran in an Arkle after one chase start – he’s got to have improved to win this.

Universally loved, Galopin Des Champs will go to Cheltenham in search of a third Gold Cup but it’s a big ask. He hasn’t looked the same horse this year and could get found out again like he did last year by younger rivals.

Mighty Park is another popular talking horse in the lead up to the Festival. He’s entered in both the Supreme and the Turners. With his only start over hurdles so far a 38-length obliteration at Fairyhouse, this son of Walk In The Park is entitled to respect wherever he goes.

Last seen bombing out with a 12 1/2 length defeat at the Dublin Racing Festival, Final Demand heads to the Brown Advisory with something to prove on his first start over further than three miles. His only other defeat came at Cheltenham last year but the race is wide open.

With 11 of the current Cheltenham Festival favourites, it’s sure to be another fruitful week for the master trainer.

Every Single Willie Mullins Winner At The Cheltenham Festival

  • Gold Cup (4) – Al Boum Photo (2019, 2020); Galopin Des Champs (2023, 2024)

  • Champion Hurdle (5) – Hurricane Fly (2011, 2013); Faugheen (2015); Annie Power (2016); State Man (2024)

  • Champion Chase (2) – Energumene (2022, 2023)

  • Stayers’ Hurdle (2) – Nichols Canyon (2017); Penhill (2018)

  • Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (8) – Tourist Attraction (1995); Ebaziyan (2007); Champagne Fever (2013); Vautour (2014); Douvan (2015); Klassical Dream (2019); Appreciate It (2021); Kopek Des Bordes (2025)

  • Arkle Novices’ Chase (6) – Un de Sceaux (2015); Douvan (2016); Footpad (2018); Duc des Genievres (2019); El Fabiolo (2023); Gaelic Warrior (2024)

  • Mares’ Hurdle (11) – Quevega (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014); Glens Melody (2015); Vroum Vroum Mag (2016); Benie Des Dieux (2018); Lossiemouth (2024, 2025)

  • Turners Novices’ Hurdle (7) – Fiveforthree (2008); Mikael d’Haguenet (2009); Faugheen (2014); Yorkhill (2016); Sir Gerhard (2022); Impaire Et Passe (2023); Ballyburn (2024)

  • Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (7) – Florida Pearl (1998); Rule Supreme (2004); Cooldine (2009); Don Poli (2015); Monkfish (2021); Fact To File (2024); Lecky Watson (2025)

  • Champion Bumper (14) – Wither or Which (1996); Florida Pearl (1997); Alexander Banquet (1998); Joe Cullen (2000); Missed That (2005); Cousin Vinny (2008); Champagne Fever (2012); Briar Hill (2013); Relegate (2018); Ferny Hollow (2020); Sir Gerhard (2021); Facile Vega (2022); Jasmin De Vaux (2024); Bambino Fever (2025)

  • Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (4) – Penhill (2017); Monkfish (2020); The Nice Guy (2022); Jasmin De Vaux (2025)

  • Ryanair Chase (6) – Vautour (2016); Un de Sceaux (2017); Min (2020); Allaho (2021, 2022); Fact To File (2025)

  • Triumph Hurdle (6) – Scolardy (2002); Burning Victory (2020); Vauban (2022); Lossiemouth (2023); Majborough (2024); Poniros (2025)

WATCH: Poniros Shocks In Triumph Hurdle At 100/1

  • Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (5) – Limini (2016); Let’s Dance (2017); Laurina (2018); Eglantine Du Seuil (2019); Concertista (2020)

  • National Hunt Chase (4) – Back in Focus (2013); Rathvinden (2018); Stattler (2022); Gaillard Du Mesnil (2023)

  • Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle (4) – Sir Des Champs (2011); Don Poli (2014); Killultagh Vic (2015); Galopin Des Champs (2021)

  • Coral Cup (2) – Bleu Berry (2018); Jimmy Du Seuil (2025)

  • County Hurdle (8) – Thousand Stars (2010); Final Approach (2011); Wicklow Brave (2015); Arctic Fire (2017); Saint Roi (2020); State Man (2022); Absurde (2024); Kargese (2025)

  • Golden Miller Novices’ Chase (4) – Sir Des Champs (2012); Vautour (2015); Black Hercules (2016); Yorkhill (2017)

  • Mares’ Chase (3) – Colreevy (2021); Elimay (2022); Dinoblue (2025)

  •  Hunter Chase (1) – Billaway (2022)

WATCH: Billaway Gets Up On Line In Hunter Chase

Kyle Curran

Kyle Curran

Kyle Curran is a horse racing journalist with years of experience covering top events in the calendar. He has an eye for a strong form line and has a particular love for the jumps. When not writing about the sport he loves, Kyle can be found travelling around the top horse racing meetings around the UK and Ireland. Kyle also specialises in PR and Exclusive Interviews.

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