Willie Mullins credits his illustrious career with an unlikely win 29 years ago as he eyes Cheltenham Gold Cup history.
The Irish trainer has 103 wins at the Cheltenham Festival, with his first coming in 1995.
Mullins kickstarted his legacy at the Festival with Tourist Attraction in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
His wins since have included four in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, all of which have come in the last six years.
After successive triumphs for Al Boum Photo in 2019 and 2020, he has repeated the feat with Galopin Des Champs in the last two years.
Mullins is set to go for an historic third win in a row next week, with Galopin Des Champs once again the favourite for the showpiece race.
The horse would become the first to claim a third consecutive Gold Cup since Best Mate between 2002 and 2004.
Despite his Gold Cup success, Mullins has highlighted another horse as ‘the rock’ on which his business has been built.
Back in 1996, the 68-year-old rode Wither or Which to victory by two lengths in the Champion Bumper as an 11-4 outsider.
It was the first of 13 wins in the race for Mullins as he went on a run of winning four of the next five.
Speaking to the Racing Post in 2021 following the death of the ‘galloping machine’ aged 30, he recalled: “I remember purposely keeping away from the television and the papers all day. I didn’t want to read, see or hear anything about the race.
“Then as I went down into the stable yard all I could hear was [former jockey and trainer-turned broadcaster] Ted Walsh talking on Channel 4 and he was telling everyone that Wither Or Which was the Irish banker of the week and that he wouldn’t be beaten!
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“Well, the pressure I felt after hearing that was something else. Back then, there weren’t many Irish winners at Cheltenham at all and to be the Irish banker was a massive thing so I really did feel the pressure when I heard Ted saying that.”
Mullins’ heads into the 2025 Cheltenham Festival after training five of the last seven Champion Bumper winners dating back to 2019.
He still believes he owes so much of his success to Wither or Which, though, adding: “Wither Of Which was in great health up until the very end.
“He was a great companion for so many horses around here, be it yearlings or broodmares or whoever needed a companion.
“He more than paid his way and he’ll always be fondly remembered here, that’s for sure.”
The Cheltenham Festival will take place from Tuesday March 11 to Friday March 14.
Mullins and Galopin Des Champs will go for glory on Friday, with a £625,000 prize pot on offer in the race.
“If he does win it would be absolutely phenomenal,” former jockey Lizzie Kelly told Hawksbee and Jacobs on talkSPORT, adding that it would be the pinnacle of the week were he to win the prestigious race again.
His previous shot at three consecutive Gold Cups was ended in 2021 by Minella Indo, with Al Boum Photo finishing third.
talkSPORT will have live coverage of all the action from Cheltenham throughout the week.
The Sports Breakfast show with Alan Brazil will start the day at 6am – live from Cheltenham – then Hawksbee and Baker bring listeners five races and celebrity guests from 1pm.
Over on our sister station, talkSPORT2, there’s a daily preview show from 10am with Lee Mckenzie, Lizzie Kelly and Rupert Bell that feature interviews with big names, including Nicky Henderson, Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton.
You can listen to all the shows via the talkSPORT app, where you can swipe between talkSPORT and talkSPORT2”
