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The annual February ritual of Willie Mullins reshuffling his Cheltenham Festival pack has taken its most intriguing turn yet. While the headlines at Closutton usually revolve around the peerless Galopin Des Champs, it is the mercurial Gaelic Warrior who has ignited the latest “will-he, won’t-he” debate following a public endorsement from the man who knows him best, Patrick Mullins.
Despite being the general favourite for the Ryanair Chase, Gaelic Warrior remains a potent wildcard in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup entries. Following his gutsy second to stablemate Fact To File in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown, Patrick Mullins was bullish this week, stating he would “love to ride” the eight-year-old in the blue riband, citing a “pure strength” that suggests three miles and two furlongs might be the making of him, rather than his undoing.
For Willie Mullins, the challenge is one of luxury. With nine entries in the Gold Cup, including last year’s runner-up Galopin Des Champs and the progressive Fact To File, the champion trainer has to decide whether to split his aces or stack the deck.
Gaelic Warrior has always been a horse of immense, if slightly erratic, talent. His Arkle victory in 2024 showed he has the gears for two miles, but his performance in the King George on Boxing Day—finishing a close third in a thriller—suggested that his future lies over staying trips. The question for punters is whether his tendency to jump slightly right can be masked over the grueling Gold Cup distance, or if the more tactical Ryanair Chase remains the “sensible” path.
Stable jockey Paul Townend was in winning form this weekend, steering Grangeclare West to a dominant victory in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse. That performance has catapulted the nine-year-old into the Grand National reckoning, but it also serves as a reminder of the sheer depth Mullins possesses.
If Fact To File is indeed supplemented for the Gold Cup at a cost of £25,000, it could leave the Ryanair at the mercy of Gaelic Warrior. However, the amateur rider’s conviction that the horse is a “Gold Cup animal” will not be easily dismissed at Seven Barrows or beyond.
The ante-post markets are reflecting the uncertainty. Gaelic Warrior remains 4/1 for the Ryanair, but has seen significant support for the Gold Cup at bigger prices. Meanwhile, the likes of Lossiemouth and Ballyburn continue to keep the “novice vs championship” debate simmering in the background.
With only two weeks to go until the tapes go up for the Supreme, the master of Closutton is keeping his cards close to his chest. “We don’t make the final decisions until the last week,” Mullins reminded us at his recent stable tour. For the owners and the betting public, the wait for the definitive “Warriors” path continues.
