No trainer on the planet has won more races at the Cheltenham Festival than Willie Mullins.
The Carlow handler has been crowned the leading trainer at the meeting eight times since 2011 is 1/2 with the bookies to have more winners than any other trainer once again this year.
Mullins is brilliant at targeting these big meetings and his runners incredibly won over €750,000 in prize money at the Dublin Racing Festival last month as he landed six of the eight Grade Ones up for grabs.
Here are five of his horses the bookies will be hoping are beaten next week:
Gaelic Warrior - Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle - Tuesday 5/2
This horse joined Mullins' yard last year from France, but has not yet run for the master of Clusotton.
Connections had planned to go to the Supreme next year if his French mark of 139 was not honoured.
But it was, with the four-year-old getting a mark of 129, which will see him go to the Boodles on day one of the Festival.
On his Cheltenham chances, owner Rich Ricci's racing manager Joe Chambers said: "We decided it was all systems go and we’d have a go first time up in the Fred Winter.
"The form of his last run in France in particular is very strong now in hindsight. The horses around him have gone on to win a number of Grade Twos and one has even won a Grade One, I think.
"His work at home has been very good, so in Willie we trust. It would be quite an achievement if he can bring him there first time out."
Galopin Des Champs - Brown Advisory Novice Chase - Wednesday 5/6
The winner of the final race of last year's Festival in the Martin Pipe, Galopin Des Champs, has looked a monster since being switched to fences.
He has won his two chase starts by a combined distance of 31 lengths and is already the favourite for the 2023 Gold Cup.
The second of those was a Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival and he had previous Grade 1 winner Master McShee nine lengths behind him in second.
It had looked as though he was definitely going for the Turners for most of the season, but he could now face Bob Olinger in the Brown Advisory instead.
Facile Vega - Champion Bumper - Wednesday 11/10
Arguably the most impressive winner at the Dublin Racing Festival, Facile Vega was simply awesome in the Grade 2 bumper on the first day of the Leopardstown meeting.
The son of legendary mare Quevega had some decent animals behind him as he won the contest by 12 lengths after scoring by six on his debut.
It was the way he did it that was so impressive on the eye as he accelerated very quickly when asked to go by Patrick Mullins.
American Mike and Redemption Day have both done nothing wrong, but they will need to be really special horses to beat this lad.
Allaho - Ryanair Chase - Thursday 8/13
Patrick Mullins has described Allaho as his nap for the whole meeting and it's easy to see why.
He won the Ryanair by 12 lengths last year and it's hard to argue that this year's renewal is any stronger.
When you look at the betting for the race, there are a number of horses towards the top of the market that won't run here such as Energumene, A Plus Tard, Chacun Pour Soi and Tornado Flyer, while Conflated could also miss this contest in favour of the Gold Cup if Gordon Elliott gets his way with Michael O'Leary.
Allaho defeated Fakir D'oudairies by 12 lengths in a Grade 2 at Thurles when last seen, with that rival going on to win a Grade 1 at Ascot since.
He is probably the biggest banker of the week.
Vauban - Triumph Hurdle - Friday 13/8
Vauban was very impressive at the Dublin Racing Festival when making his second start for Willie Mullins.
He defeated Fil Dor, who he looks set to bump into again next week, comfortably and has been the favourite for the Triumph since.
But he will also have Pied Piper, who defeated him earlier in the season to worry about, as well as the best of the British runners.
The vibes seem to be good from the Mullins camp though and he could go off very short if the Carlow trainer cleans up during the first three days of the meeting.
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