Cheltenham Betting 2022 and 4 Willie Mullins Horses to Follow
When it comes to training winners at the Cheltenham Festival, it is fair to say that Willie Mullins stands head and shoulders above his rivals.
The top Irish trainer has bagged an incredible 78 winners at the prestigious meeting and is sure to add more to his tally this time around.
Star stayer Al Boum Photo will be one of his best chances of the week in the Gold Cup, while Appreciate It is strongly fancied for the Arkle Novices’ Chase. Bookies already set the odds on the favourites and are ready to welcome punters with free bets on one of the most anticipated horse racing events on 2022.
Read on as we take a closer look at some of Mullins’ up-and-coming horses that could go on to make a big impact at the Festival next March.
Classic Getaway
Classic Getaway hacked up in a point-to-point before making an impressive winning debut in a bumper at Tipperary in May.
The five-year-old toyed with his rivals in the latter race, taking the lead three furlongs from home before powering 15 lengths clear of the field.
The son of Getaway fetched an eye-watering £570,000 at last year’s Goffs UK December Point-to-Point Sale, equalling the price of Douvan’s full-brother Jonbon.
Classic Getaway is entered to run in the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas. If he wins there, all roads lead to Cheltenham thereafter.
Galopin Des Champs
The 155-rated hurdler won two of his five starts last season including the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at the Festival.
He followed up with a hugely impressive success in a Grade 1 novice hurdle at the Punchestown Festival and appears to be on a massive upward curve.
Galopin Des Champs improved physically during last season and looks the type of horse that will take high rank amongst this season’s novice chasers.
He showed he stays well when winning over three miles at Punchestown, but may well be versatile enough to shine over shorter distances.
Deploy The Getaway
Deploy the Getaway romped home in a point-to-point in 2019, before finishing second on his racecourse debut in a bumper at Thurles in March.
He looked to be on his way to victory over hurdles at Gowran Park in November, but ran out of steam on the run-in and was collared by Indigo Breeze.
While the five-year-old has shown plenty of ability on the gallops, he is still displaying signs of greenness on the racecourse.
If Mullins can unlock his potential, Deploy the Getaway could be a force to reckoned with when the Festival comes around.
Ferny Hollow
Ferny Hollow won the Champion Bumper at the Festival in 2020 and was expected to be one of the stars of the novice hurdling scene last season.
He kicked off with a victory over Bob Olinger in a maiden hurdle at Gowran Park last November, but was ruled out for the season through injury shortly afterwards.
Bob Olinger went on to land the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle by seven lengths, highlighting the strength of that line of form.
Ferny Hollow is set to go novice chasing this season and is fully expected to be a major star over the bigger obstacles.
