Willie Mullins Cheltenham Festival stable tour: Galopin Des Champs options open with trainer favouring Turners | Racing News

Willie Mullins could upset the market for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival after revealing he is favouring the Turners for exciting star Galopin Des Champs.

Last year’s impressive Martin Pipe winner is 5/6 favourite for the three-mile contest next month, where the main opposition is set to come from Paul Nicholls’ Bravemansgame, but Mullins could instead head to the Turners’ Novices’ Chase – over two-and-a-half miles – to face Henry de Bromhead’s Bob Olinger.

Mullins looks set to send another strong squad to Prestbury Park, including Champion Hurdle hopeful Appreciate It and Champion Chase second favourite Energumene, who is set for a fascinating rematch with Shishkin.

Appreciate It

Champion Hurdle

“Appreciate It looks to be in great form at home. I had him away for a gallop last week and I was very, very happy with him – he galloped very well.

“I’d say we have a good record with running horses first time out at Cheltenham. I don’t know we’ve done it in a Champion Hurdle, but obviously we did it with Quevega and Joe Cullen would have won first time up (when winning the 2000 Champion Bumper).

“It’s not something I’m worried about. I made the decision ages ago and the closer we’ve got, the happier I am that we didn’t have a run.

“It’s a big challenge for any horse to take on Honeysuckle.

“She races anywhere Rachael (Blackmore) puts her and there doesn’t look to be much in the British Isles that can beat her, anyhow.”

Asterion Forlonge

Gold Cup / Ryanair Chase

“Asterion Forlonge sneaked in at the bottom of the list of 30 this morning. He was on the list and off the list and back on it again.

“The day he gets all his jumping together he’s going to be a player, but unfortunately he usually finds a fence or two to make a mess of.

“In the King George he made a mistake four out and got out of the race and still came into it with a chance at the last, only to mess it up again.

“In the Irish Gold Cup he was running a cracker and from nowhere put down at the second-last. I put him out of my mind and he finished well to be fourth.

“I’m hoping more than expecting that he’ll get things right one day.

“I’d imagine he’ll go for the Gold Cup. He could go for the Ryanair, but we’ll see. I don’t think there’ll be too many ante-post bets on him in either race!”

Tornado Flyer, Al Boum Photo

Gold Cup

“Tornado Flyer goes for the Gold Cup. Danny (Mullins) was fantastic on him in the King George and I think a similar type performance in Cheltenham will put him right there.

“I think the extra distance could be an advantage to him. If it is, that puts him right in there.

“Soft ground certainly wouldn’t stop him, but his pedigree suggests he should go on better ground – I don’t think it matters to him. He’s a player, I think.

“I’d rather I had [Al Boum Photo] in better order, to be honest. I brought him away to work and I wasn’t happy with him, so we’ll see.

“He’s fit and we should have plenty of time. I think he’s in better order this morning than he was the last few days.

“I just gave him a few easy days after he worked. Maybe it just wasn’t his day when I brought him away. He usually comes right for Cheltenham.”

Energumene, Chacun Pour Soi

Champion Chase

“I think the world of Chacun Pour Soi. Maybe, as a lot of people are saying, he’s not able to face the hill in Cheltenham, but he’s a horse I’d like to see getting a fair crack of the whip over there, which I think we haven’t had yet.

“Maybe he’s a horse that runs better fresh, especially when you take all the travelling into it.

“At the time I felt we should have been more use of him last year. This year it’s a different race and we’ll see what happens.

“Energumene is a young horse coming up and Chacun has done a lot, so we’ll give him the respect he’s due I think.

“Energumene ran a terrific race in Ascot. We know he’s not far away from wherever Shishkin is, but as I said on the day, it’s going to be hard to turn that form around.

“I think Shishkin made two mistakes, so he has that advantage if he has a clear round. We can probably change things a little bit with Energumene and hope to turn it around, but it’s going to be tough I think.

“I’m hoping while the two of them are fighting it out, Chacun Pour Soi might have the race won – that would be a dream.

“I’d be a Chacun Pour Soi fan every day of the week. I don’t know what way Paul [Townend] is leaning. It’s going to be hard to turn around the Shishkin form with Energumene, so maybe he should play the other card if we can get your man there in the order I want him to be in.”

Galopin Des Champs

Turners / Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase

“He was so good the first day and was very brave the last day.

“He could go in either race and I want to chat with Paul, but I’d be happy enough I think to go in the Turners over two and a half. I think he has the ability to do that, he jumps well and he’s sharp.

“I don’t think he needs to go back up to an extended three miles.

“I try to pick the right race for our horses rather than worrying about the opposition. I think that’s the right way to do it.

“There’s no decision yet, but at the moment I’d be favouring the shorter race.”

Kilcruit, Dysart Dynamo

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

“Kilcruit runs in the Supreme, anyway. After that, I don’t know.

“I really want to hear what Paul (Townend) would have to say about what he would like to ride in the first race (Supreme).

“I have a fair idea what I’m going to do, but I want to see how they work and chat to Paul and I don’t want to chat to him too soon. And I want to chat with David (Casey) and Patrick (Mullins) and Ruby (Walsh) and their input will be huge, too.

“I always think it will be a great problem to have on the morning of declarations.

“Dysart Dynamo was very good the last day. He was very free in front, but Paul has said to me that when you ride him in behind horses he’s fine.”

Sir Gerhard

Supreme / Ballymore

“Sir Gerhard does everything right, except for the last day when we made the running with him, which I think didn’t suit him. I’ve no doubt that whatever race he runs in, getting a lead, he’ll be fine.

“He has plenty of speed and jumps well. I’m looking forward to getting him over there and he could go in either race.

“You could toss a coin to decide which race he goes to. That’s the sort of ability I think he has.”