Willie Mullins is gearing up for another memorable Super Tuesday at the Cheltenham Festival, though he may need some patience before making a mark on day one.
Mullins, a ten-time leading trainer at this meeting, alongside Nicky Henderson, have collectively won nine of the last 13 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle races. Unsurprisingly, the top two favorites for this year’s opener come from their stables.
Among the standout horses, Mighty Park has been touted as a potential generational talent. However, his experience over hurdles is limited, with a single dominant 38-length victory at Fairyhouse in January. This impressive margin has boosted his hype, yet it may overstate his credentials compared to the competition.
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In contrast, Old Park Star presents a solid case. He has won all three of his hurdle races by a combined 33 lengths and notably thrived at this track in December, making him an enticing option for bettors.
Kopek Des Bordes, last year’s Supreme winner, lived up to expectations and is now a leading contender for the Arkle Trophy. After recovering from knee surgery, he has been off the track for 113 days but has shown strong form in novice chases.
Meanwhile, Henderson’s Lulamba brings an unbeaten record through four chase starts and is aiming to overcome the usual difficulties five-year-olds face in this race. This sets up an interesting choice between proven class (Kopek Des Bordes) and recent form (Lulamba), with class often prevailing at the Festival.
The prestigious Champion Hurdle promises a showdown between Mullins’ mare Lossiemouth and Dan Skelton’s unbeaten The New Lion. The New Lion, last year’s winner, stumbled under pressure in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle, raising some doubts. Lossiemouth’s tendency to idle early has been addressed by adding cheekpieces, an adjustment that appears to have sharpened her performance at home.
Paul Townend’s ride on Lossiemouth highlights her strong Festival credentials—she is unbeaten in six March starts and four races at Cheltenham, underscoring her ability to perform when it counts.
While Brighterdaysahead defeated Lossiemouth in the Irish Champion Hurdle, her connections express doubts, noting her struggles on this type of ground and past failures at Cheltenham.
Joseph O’Brien, a master at Cheltenham success, has two promising contenders in the McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle—a race he won in back-to-back years, 2024 and 2025. Glen to Glen impressed on soft ground at Cork, while Quebecois, narrowly beaten on Cheltenham Trials Day, should benefit from returning to his preferred three-mile distance in the Ultima Handicap Chase.
The Sun Racing Plate Handicap Chase has been dominated by horses who have won at Cheltenham that season. Irish raider Zurich fits this trend well, with Henry de Bromhead’s stable known for delivering horses in peak form at the Festival.
Meanwhile, Irish trainer Paul Nolan is targeting the National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices' Handicap Chase with Iceberg Theory, who is expected to shine stepping up beyond three miles.
Selections for Day One:
1:20 - Old Park Star
2:00 - Kopek Des Bordes
2:40 - Glen to Glen
3:20 - Quebecois
4:00 - Lossiemouth (nap)
4:40 - Zurich
5:20 - Iceberg Theory