‘He’s going to run some race’ – Willie Mullins is gunning for the Champion Bumper

Gordon Elliott’s Cheltenham Festival stable tour came out earlier this week but now it’s the turn of his major rival Willie Mullins. The Closutton maestro dominated at the Festival last year and judging by some of his quotes, that’s not expected to change this time around. We’ve picked out four horses which Mullins was particularly complimentary of. Why not check out our free tips page for daily content across British and Irish racing.

State Man (Champion Hurdle)

This horse is undoubtedly the best two-mile hurdler in Ireland and his trainer is confident that he could get closer to Constitution Hill this time around. Mullins said: “He’s in great order. His performance at Christmas was huge against Impaire Et Passe, who was much more competitive there than he was the other day at the Dublin Racing Festival. He’s going to be really race-fit. Nicky Henderson might not think so, or Constitution Hill fans might not think so, but I think we’re stronger this year.”

You Oughta Know (Champion Bumper)

You Oughta Know was second in a Grade 2 at the Dublin Racing Festival last time out and Mullins is expecting big things at Cheltenham next month. He said “I thought that was a hell of a run at Leopardstown. He was giving weight away and didn’t get a great position early on. He’s going to run some race in the bumper at Cheltenham.”

Fact To File (Brown Advisory/Turners)

A very impressive winner at Leopardstown last time out, the sky’s the limit for this very talented horse. His target for the Festival isn’t confirmed but he should go close wherever he ends up. Mullins stated: “He’s in the Brown Advisory and the Turners. He’s done everything right and has put in a huge trial for either race. His speed figures are fantastic. They were going some lick down the back straight at the Dublin Racing Festival and he just kept on jumping and galloping right to the line.”

Dino Blue (Mares’ Chase)

A valiant second to the imperious El Fabiolo last time out, her trainer has been enamoured by her recent work. He said: “The best bit of work she ever did was in the lead up to the Dublin Racing Festival and I’m hoping she’ll continue to improve over the next few weeks. She made a few uncharacteristic mistakes in the Grand Annual last year. Two and a half miles in the Mares’ Chase shouldn’t be any problem given her pedigree.”

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