Which 2024 Cheltenham Race Will Willie Mullins Train His 100th Festival Winner In?

Top Irish trainer Willie Mullins will head into the 2024 Cheltenham Festival sitting on 94 winners at the meeting and having fired in 6+ victories in ALL of the last four years he’s expected to hit the magic 100 mark.

However, which 2024 Cheltenham race is the most likely one to provide Willie Mullins with his landmark 100th Festival winner? We try and work it out.

Which 2024 Cheltenham Race Will Provide Willie Mullins With His 100th Festival Winner?

Willie Mullins sits on 94 Cheltenham Festival winners – more than any other trainer in the history of the meeting, with Nicky Henderson back in second with 73 (at the start of the 2024 Festival).

Therefore, with Mullins needing only SIX more Festival winners to hit the magic 100 at Cheltenham, there is a massive chance he’ll do just that. Afterall, he’s as short as 1/3 with Paddy Power to trainer 8+ winners at the 2024 Festival and he only needs six to hit the 100.

With that in mind, let’s try and plot the Willie Mullins 2024 Cheltenham Festival and see which race (or races) are likely to be the ones he’ll fire in that 100th winner in.

Cheltenham Festival Day One 2024

1.30: Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (2m): ‘WINNER’ (Ballyburn or Tullyhill)

Mullins has won the Cheltenham opener seven times in the past and has a strong hand again. Ballyburn could head to the Baring Bingham on Wednesday, but even if he does Mullins has an able deputy in Tullyhill, who bolted up at Punchestown last time out.

2.10: Arkle Novices’ Chase (2m): NO WINNER

Mullins has decent chances with Il Etait Temps and Facile Vega, but the Arkle this year looks competitive with Marine Nationale, who needs to bounce back and Found A Fifty also in the race.

2.50: Ultima Handicap Chase (3m 1f): NO WINNER

Willie Mullins has NEVER won the Ultima Chase and in a race that is always super-competitive the safer call is to side with no Closutton winner here.

3.30: Champion Hurdle (2m): NO WINNER 

State Man will be Willie’s big hope here and he’s certainly got a squeak being the current Irish Champion Hurdler. However, he’s up against last year’s winner Constitution Hill again, who beat him 9 lengths 12 months ago, so it’s likely to be more of the same here.

However, there is news that Constitution Hill may miss the race after scoping badly. This would pave the way for a Mullins win here with State Man.

4.10: Mares’ Hurdle (2m 3f): ‘WINNER’ – (Lossiemouth) 

With a stonking nine wins in the Mares’ Hurdle, Willie Mullins loves this Cheltenham race. Yes, he’s actually on a five-year run without a success, with his last Benie Des Dieux in 2018, however, that can all change here with his exciting grey Lossiemouth one of the big day one bankers.

4.50: Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (2m): NO WINNER

– Another super-tough renewal of the Boodles in prospect, but this is another Cheltenham race Willie Mullins is yet to win. Gordon Elliott (4 wins) and Paul Nicholls (3 wins) are normally the trainers to note here.

5.30: National Hunt Chase (3m 5f): ‘WINNER’ (Embassy Gardens)

Mullins won this stamina-sapping amateur jockeys’ race last year and looks to have another big chance with Embassy Gardens. This 8 year-old is 2-from-2 over fences and looks the sort that could improve again now stepping up in trip.

Willie Mullins Tally At End Of Day One: 3 WINNERS (Running Total: 97 winners)

Cheltenham Festival Day Two 2024

1.30: Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle (2m 5f): ‘WINNER’

– A lot will hinge on Ballyburn here, as he could run in this race instead of the day one Supreme. If he does, then you can probably upgrade this race to defo ‘WINNER’. However, if he doesn’t then it looks a much more open affair, but it’s still a contest Mullins loves to win. He’s won the pot six times over the years – including for the last two seasons and with or without Ballyburn, will still some good chances with the likes of Predators Gold, Ile Atlantique, Mystical Power, Billericay Dickie and Readin Tommy Wrong.

2.10: Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (3m): ‘WINNER’ (Fact To File)

This is another tricky one as Mullins also has Fact To File entered in the Turners Novices’ Chase on Thursday. However, should he go here, then he’s expected to be a warm order after impressing in the Ladbrokes Novices’ Chase at the DRF last time, plus is a race Mullins has won five times over the years – his last Monkfish in 2021.

2.50: Coral Cup (Handicap Hurdle) (2m 5f): NO WINNER 

Very open race as always, but Mullins has just the one win in the race – Bleu Berry (2018). In more recent years it’s been a good contest for Nicky Henderson, with four wins since 2010.

3.30: Queen Mother Champion Chase (2m): ‘WINNER’ (El Fabiolo)

Last year’s Arkle Chase winner has been a warm order for the Champion Chase all season and firmed up even more when last year’s hero Energumene was ruled out with injury. He’ll face old rival Jonbon again – but had 5 1/2 lengths in-hand with that JP McManus horse 12 months ago and it can be more of the same. El Fab is 5-from-5 over fences and after torrid time in this race, Mullins has now won the last two runnings.

**THIS COULD BE THE RACE THAT GIVES MULLINS HIS 100th FESTIVAL WINNER**

4.10: Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (3m 5f): NO WINNER

Willie Mullins rarely targets this Cheltenham ‘marmite’ race and it’s the same this season. Move on and leave this one to Gordon Elliott, or maybe even the former Gold Cup winner Minella Indo from the Henry De Bromhead camp.

4.50: Grand Annual Handicap Chase (2m): NO WINNER

Another race Cheltenham race Mullins is yet to win and it’s likely to stay that way in 2024 with another super open affair.

5.30: Champion Bumper (2m): ‘WINNER’

The Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival and Willie Mullins go hand-in-hand. The 10-time top trainer at the meeting has mopped up this race a staggering 12 times – including four of the last six. It’s an open race in 2024 though, so it won’t be easy for Mullins, but he’ll be mob-handed again with the likes of Maugheen, Jasmin De Vaux and You Oughta Know three names he’ll have running for his 13th success in this day two closer.

Willie Mullins Tally At End Of Day Two: 4 WINNERS (Running Total: 101 winners)

Conclusion: Willie Mullins To Get To 100 Cheltenham Winners By Day Two

A lot will depend on targets for the likes of Ballyburn and Fact To File over the first two days, but based on the above there is every chance Willie Mullins could be celebrating his 100th Cheltenham Festival winner at the halfway stage.

With, maybe, El Fabiolo in Wednesday’s Queen Mother Champion Chase the horse that can provide Mullins with the 100.

Even if things don’t go as planned (re the above) there are still a few safety net race – like the Bumper, a contest Mullins has won 12 times, plus some will argue that State Man might serve it up to Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle on day one this season.

However, regardless, if we’ve got it right, or not – the good news for Mullins is that he’s still got TWO days left, and Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup and Dinoblue in the Mares Chase, should he still be falling short of the magic 100 come Wednesday night.

Willie Mullins Has Been Cheltenham’s Top Trainer 10 Times

Mullins will also be looking to be the top Cheltenham trainer for an eleventh time.

• 2023: Willie Mullins (6)
• 2022: Willie Mullins (10)
• 2021: Willie Mullins (6)
• 2020: Willie Mullins (7)
• 2019: Willie Mullins (4)
• 2016: Willie Mullins (7)
• 2015: Willie Mullins (8)
• 2014: Willie Mullins (4)
• 2013: Willie Mullins (5)
• 2011: Willie Mullins (4)

Cheltenham Festival Date and Running Order 2024

See below the full running order and race times for each of the four days at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.

Tuesday 12th March 2024         

• 1.30: Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (2m)
• 2.10: Arkle Novices’ Chase (2m)
• 2.50: Ultima Handicap Chase (3m 1f)
• 3.30: Champion Hurdle (2m)
• 4.10: Mares’ Hurdle (2m 3f)
• 4.50: Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (2m)
• 5.30: National Hunt Chase (3m 5f)

Wednesday 13th March 2024   

• 1.30: Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle (2m 5f)
• 2.10: Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (3m)
• 2.50: Coral Cup (Handicap Hurdle) (2m 5f)
• 3.30: Queen Mother Champion Chase (2m)
• 4.10: Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (3m 5f)
• 4.50: Grand Annual Handicap Chase (2m)
• 5.30: Champion Bumper (2m)

Thursday 14th March 2024       

• 1.30: Turners Novices’ Chase (2m 3f)
• 2.10: Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle (3m)
• 2.50: Ryanair Chase (2m 4f)
• 3.30: Stayers’ Hurdle (3m)
• 4.10: Paddy Power Plate (Handicap Chase) (2m 4f)
• 4.50: Mares Novices’ Hurdle (2m)
• 5.30: Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup (Handicap Chase) (3m 2f)

Friday 15th March 2024

• 1.30: Triumph Hurdle (2m)
• 2.10: County Hurdle (Handicap) (2m)
• 2.50: Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (3m)
• 3.30: Cheltenham Gold Cup (3m 2f)
• 4.10: St James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Hunters’ Chase (3m 2f)
• 4.50: Mares’ Chase (2m 4f)
• 5.30: Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle (2m 4f)