Leading Trainers at the Cheltenham Festival

Tuesday 16th - Friday 19th March 2021

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Willie Mullins claimed the Leading Trainer Award at The Festival™ supporting WellChild for an eighth time with victory in the very last of the week’s 28 races and admitted it was like scoring an extra time winner. 

The Closutton handler finished the meeting on six winners, the same as Henry de Bromhead, but took the Leading Trainer Award on the number of placed horses over the last four days. He also consolidated his position as the most successful trainer of all time at The Festival, with his total number of winners now standing at 78.

Willie Mullins said: “We’ve just got a goal in extra time to clinch the championship!

“It’s been an in and out Festival but it came good in the end. I always think a third of favourites win and I’m thinking four or five winners. I was hoping we might have a few more. It’s great we’ve had six. 

“I suppose Concertista getting beaten, Chacun Pour Soi getting beaten, Al Boum Photo ran a cracker but it wasn’t to be. A few of our hot pots got beat and that puts a little dampener on it but a few of our other horses came up and we got up on the line.

“We had a lot of placed horses, seven seconds and five thirds and one or two fell that were going to be second as well. We’ve not had anything I felt should have won - I think the results were the results and that is where we are.”

Asked to pick a highlight of the week, Mullins said: “Allaho stands out a mile and yesterday I said he might look like a King George horse, but when I analysed it I think we probably should be looking at a Champion Chase rather than a King George.

“The way he jumps I should be going back in trip. I’ve not mentioned that to connections yet but he jumps so slick and fast, I think it wouldn’t be a big leap of faith that he could be a Champion Chase horse.”

Reflecting on the result in the WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup he added: “I thought the ground with the bit of rain and dew we had this morning was fine for Al Boum Photo. Minella Indo has Cheltenham form around here and is a good horse.

“A Plus Tard is a good horse and he advertised that in Ireland and the three pulled right away from the rest of the field. Our fellow is getting a bit older and is not as sharp as he was. 

“He missed out the third last and fifth last and they were the fences that won him the race last year. He ran a great race but I was a little disappointed.”

Leading Trainer Award – Final Standings

Trainer 1st 2nd 3rd

Willie Mullins IRE 6 7 5
Henry de Bromhead IRE 6 3 1
Denise Foster IRE 3 4 2
Nicky Henderson 2 2 2
Gavin Cromwell IRE 2 - -
Ian Ferguson IRE 1 - -
Noel Meade IRE 1 - -
Sue Smith 1 - -
Paul Hennessy IRE 1 - -
Jonjo O’Neill 1 - -
Paul Nolan IRE 1 - -
Emmet Mullins IRE 1 - -
Peter Fahey IRE 1 - -
Will Biddick 1 - -
Colin Tizzard - 3 1
Joseph O’Brien IRE - 2 2
Dan Skelton - 2 2
Paul Nicholls - 1 2
Venetia Williams - 1 1
Kim Bailey - 1 -
David Cottin FR - 1 -
David Pipe - 1 -
John McConnell IRE - - 2
Enda Bolger IRE - - 1
Harriet Graham - - 1
Alex Hales - - 1
Fergal O’Brien - - 1
Tom Lacey - - 1
Tom George - - 1
Emma Lavelle - - 1
Neil Mulholland - - 1

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