Willie Mullins streaking ahead of Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls at Cheltenham Festival
SUCH is the strength of Willie Mullins’ runners at the Cheltenham Festival, bookmakers believe Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls could leave the meeting empty handed.
Willie Mullins' runners are ahead of the rest at the Cheltenham festival
Henderson, the most successful trainer ever at the Festival and seven times the leading handler at the fixture, is 8-1 with Paddy Power not to saddle a winner at the meeting.
It was only four years ago when Henderson mopped up with seven winners.
Conor Murphy, a stable lad with Henderson, hit the jackpot when he won a £1m after backing five of them.
But since that bonanza Henderson has been by crushed by Mullins, the top trainer at the meeting for the last three years.
Nicholls, six times the leading trainer at the Festival, is 5-2 not to have a winner at the March meeting.
Paddy Power said: “It’s absolutely astonishing that the champion trainer is 5-2 not to train a winner at jump racing’s Olympics, but any handler is only as good as the ammo at their disposal.
“The master of Ditcheat has no horses for Cheltenham trading at single-figure odds, while Willie Mullins has close to 25.”
Mullins continued his domination last weekend when he won three Grade One races. Such is the strength of his stable it would be foolish to back against him.
The Co Carlow trainer’s five bankers – Faugheen 2-5, Douvan 4-7, Annie Power 4-5, Un De Sceaux 4-5 and Min 13-8 – look cast-iron.
Nicholls’ shortest-priced runner is Dodging Bullets, hoping to repeat last year’s success in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, but he will have a fight on his hands against Un De Sceaux.
Henderson’s best hope Sprinter Sacre also heads for that race.
Hills go 100-30 about Henderson not putting his name on the scoreboard, with Nicholls 2-1 to go home winnerless.
To add further insult, Mullins is 10-11 favourite to become champion trainer in Britain with Nicholls at evens and Henderson 16-1.
But Henderson and Nicholls have one over on Mullins. They have both trained the winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
However, Mullins believes Djakadam, who runs on Saturday at Cheltenham, can set the record straight.