As another National Hunt Racing season gets underway, all eyes are on Closutton in County Carlow as master trainer Willie Mullins is readying to unleash his most dangerous assets.
The Irish handler was named the Leading Trainer at the Cheltenham Festival for the 10th time since 2011 earlier this year when landing the prestigious accolade for the fifth time in a row in March.
Mullins will have ample opportunities to add to his record tally of 94 winners at Prestbury Park when the 2024 Festival comes around, so let’s take a look at some of his leading contenders for the season.
Galopin Des Champs
Perhaps the best thoroughbred in horse racing today, Galopin Des Champs will be out to defend his Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.
The seven-year-old gifted Mullins his third win in the prestigious race when beating Bravemansgame earlier this year, and the star chaser is going to take all the beating later this season.
Galopin Des Champs was only third on his reappearance in the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown on November 26, but he s.
Allegorie De Vassy
Allegorie De Vassy made an unbeaten start to life over fences with back-to-back wins in novice events at Thurles and Limerick, winning both by a comfortable 19 lengths.
However, she could fare no better than second in the Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham and was well-held when second and third at Fairyhouse and Punchestown, respectively, in April.
The six-year-old has already kick-started this season with a win in a Listed Mares Chase at Clonmel earlier this month and is the 7/2 favorite for the Grade 2 Mares’ Chase at the Festival.
Impair et Passe
A bumper winner under Yannick Fouin in France, Impaire Et Passe went unbeaten over hurdles for Mullins last season.
He marked his Closutton debut with an 18-length success in a maiden event at Naas before landing the Grade 2 Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
The five-year-old’s biggest wins, however, were in the Festival’s Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and the Punchestown Champion Chase — which are both Group 1 contests.
Despite talk of going novice chasing this campaign, Impaire Et Passe looks set to stay over the smaller obstacles and he could be a big danger to Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle.
El Fabiolo
Mullins is seeking a third Champion Chase success in a row at the 2024 Festival, but it is El Fabiolo who is the favorite in the ante-post market — not his hat-trick-seeking stablemate Energumene.
The six-year-old switched hurdles for fences last season and went unscathed over the sticks with an impressive four wins, including in three straight Grade 1s in the form of the Irish Arkle, the Arkle itself, and the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase.
Mullins has already claimed that El Fabiolo is ‘one of the top-notchers in the yard’, and if he can adapt to life outside of novice company, then he might win the Champions Chase comfortably.
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