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Willie Mullins Favourite for 2022 Top Cheltenham Trainer

Willie Mullins is now a legendary trainer when it comes to National Hunt horse racing. The Irishman started out with just a handful of horses at the early part of his career, although it’s now the case that he has an enormous racing empire, with some of the richest owners in the game putting their faith in the softly-spoken handler who is the strong favourite to secure the top trainer award at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival.

How Many Times Has Willie Mullins Been Top Cheltenham Trainer?

Willie Mullins has been the Top Cheltenham Trainer winner on eight occasions, with the Irishman having enjoyed 78 Cheltenham Festival wins since he started his career. They have come on a consistent basis in recent years, with Mullins having won the Top Cheltenham Trainer betting market for the first time in 2011 when scooping four winners.

That was just the start of things to come, with Mullins winning lots of Cheltenham Festival bets for him to be top trainer when obliging on four consecutive occasions between 2013 – 2016. The most successful year of this quartet was 2015 when the trainer secured eight different winners and he also secure a consecutive hat-trick of victories between 2019-2021.

What Are the Biggest Cheltenham Festival Winners?

Willie Mullins has landed several high-profile victories when it comes to the Cheltenham Festival betting markets, with Al Boum Photo winning the Gold Cup for this trainer on two separate occasions. However, Mullins is often synonymous with landing the spoils when it comes to hurdle races and this includes the Champion Hurdle betting odds.

The first of these successes came in the form of Hurricane Fly in 2011 and it was the same horse in 2013 who was able to oblige with the spoils. Faugheen in 2015 was also successful and Mullins obliged in 2016 when Annie Power triumphed with a mares’ allowance, with the same horse having also run in other Cheltenham races.

Which Cheltenham Races Are Most Successful for Mullins?

The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival and Willie Mullins has been in the winners enclosure on seven occasions. There was a particularly big gamble on Champagne Fever in the 2013 race, with the horse’s odds shortening on the day of the race and there were plenty of backers when it came to the Cheltenham betting odds of 10/1.

Favourite backers at the Cheltenham Festival have also been cheering on Mullins-trained horses in the Mares’ Hurdle, with Quevega winning at a selection of short-priced Cheltenham betting odds between 2009-2014. She became regarded as a Cheltenham banker during that time, landing six consecutive wins, while Glens Melody, Vroum Vroum Mag and Benie Des Dieux are the other winners.

Mullins Betting Favourite When it Comes to 2022 Cheltenham Odds

Willie Mullins is the odds-on Cheltenham betting favourite to be top trainer at the 2022 Festival, with the handler having lively chances in many of the leading races.

Willie Mullins Horses For Day 1 of Cheltenham 2022

• Supreme Novices’ Hurdle: DYSART DYNAMO could be Mullins’ best chance of winning the Supreme, with the six-year-old likely to be among the favourites for the Cheltenham Festival opener.
• Arkle Chase: FERNY HOLLOW and BLUE LORD head the betting for the Arkle Chase, with the former having won the 2020 Champion Bumper and there have been victories at Punchestown and Leopardstown this season. Blue Lord could follow him home, with wins at Naas and Fairyhouse this season.
• Champion Hurdle: While Honeysuckle will take a lot of beating with her mares allowance, there could be some Willie Mullins-trained horses in the frame. SHARJAH finished second in this race last season, while APPRECIATE IT is among the favourites in the Champion Hurdle betting.
• Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle: STORMY IRELAND could be Mullins’ best chance of winning this race, with the Irishman having been a serial winner of this Cheltenham Day 1 race considering Quevega, Vroum Vroum Mag and Benie Des Dieux have gone in for him.
• National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Novices' Chase: This is a stamina-sapping horse race on Day 1 of the meeting, with Willie Mullins likely to have lots of horses in the race. This includes STATTLER, EN BETON and CAPODANNO who can all be backed each-way at a price.

Willie Mullins Horses For Day 2 of Cheltenham 2022

• Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle: Sir Gerhard was the 2021 Champion Bumper winner and Willie Mullins will have high hopes when it comes to this seven-year-old.
• Brown Advisory Novices' Chase: Meanwhile, Galopin Des Champs is another Willie Mullins-trained horse who is short on the Cheltenham Festival betting market.
• Queen Mother Champion Chase: Energumene could go up against Shishkin in the 2022 Queen Mother Champion Chase, although there’s an unknown when it comes to whether the horse can perform outside of Ireland.
• Weatherbys Champion Bumper: Mullins has had several Bumper winners throughout Cheltenham Festival history, with Facile Vega and Redemption Day the first string for the Irish handler when it comes to this flat race.

Willie Mullins Horses For Day 3 of Cheltenham 2022

• Ryanair Chase: Allaho could be the horse to take all the beating when it comes to the Ryanair Chase betting odds. The horse won at odds of 3/1 last year by a distance of twelve lengths.
• Stayers’ Hurdle: Klassical Dream is the potential winner of the Stayers’ Hurdle. The eight-year-old has had his fair share of injury problems although a couple of wins this season means there will be those wanting to back his Cheltenham odds.
• Mares’ Novices Hurdle: Willie Mullins currently has the first three in the betting market and this is a race where this trainer specialises. Take your pick from Allegorie De Vassy, Brandy Love and Dinoblue.

Willie Mullins Horses For Day 4 of Cheltenham 2022

• Cheltenham Gold Cup: Al Boum Photo has won the Gold Cup on two occasions, with the Gold Cup betting suggesting the horse has an outside chance of landing a hat-trick for Willie Mullins.
• St James's Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase: Billaway is the strong market leader for this race and could represent another Day 4 winner for Mullins.
• Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase: Concertista has been successful at Cheltenham before and is the Cheltenham Festival betting favourite, while her stable mate is Elimay who runs in the JP McManus colours.