The 2024 Cheltenham Festival is some way off yet preparations at the powerhouse yard of Willie Mullins are well underway ahead of the new National Hunt season.
The campaign doesn’t really come into the racing public consciousness until November with the Charlie Hall Steeplechase at Wetherby on the 4th, a race won last year by Cheltenham Gold Cup second Bravemansgame.
But the eyes are never far away from the Prestbury Park showpiece meeting next March, where tour de force Mullins is set to have another big say in proceedings.
The County Carlow trainer bagged a whopping €7,299,665 in prize money across the 2022/23 season to be by far and away the leading jumps trainer in Britain and Ireland, most notably training Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs.
Mullins’ son Patrick, one of the top amateur riders in the sport, is also an assistant trainer at the Closutton yard and has named four horses he says he is looking forward to seeing take the track this season trained by his father, in what could be an early hint at what’s to come for some of the perhaps lesser known lights of the Mullins yard.
Speaking to Racing TV, Patrick gives us four horses he’s expecting a big future for from the Willie Mullins yard.
FOUR POTENTIAL SUPERSTARS AT CLOSUTTON
All of ours are only on the gallops at the moment, but there are four that I am very much looking forward to seeing over the jumps:
Ile Atlantique
“I think he is much better than his bare form, he wants softer ground and a further trip.”
Ile Atlantique won of his four NHF races, and placed in his other three. The form of his win at Leopardstown in December has worked out nicely, with runner-up Feronily now a Grade 1 winner over fences.
Ballyburn
“He’s a horse I can’t wait to see, probably over slightly further as well. He’s a horse that at home does enough but in a race, when it comes to finishing, give him a flick or two he really hits overdrive and has huge ability.”
Ballyburn has won all three races to date, including two NHF races. Patrick was on board both NHF races so knows the horse well.
Tullyhill
“He gave A Dream To Share most to think about (A Dream To Share beat Tullyhill in a Punchestown bumper last April).”
Tullyhill ran out a game winner of his point-to-point, before impressively winning on his NHF debut at Gowran Park. He stepped into Grade 1 company at the Punchestown Festival, finishing runner-up to the multiple Grade 1 winner A Dream To Share.
Fact To File
“He could possibly go over further as well.”
Fact To File was an easy winner of his PTP race, and won going away on his NHF debut at Leopardstown. His next two races found him chasing home A Dream To Share, including when finishing runner-up to him in the Champion Bumper at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.
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