Cheltenham Festival: Willie Mullins' dominance looks set to continue with another strong hand at Cheltenham

The all-conquering Irishman extended his record number of winners at British jumps racing’s flagship meeting to 97 after yesterday’s action.

His El Fabiolo looks difficult to oppose as he looks to double his Cheltenham Festival tally in the feature Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.30).

Mullins’ bay has been beaten just once since joining his current stable and is six from six since having his attentions turned to fences and renews his rivalry with Nicky Henderson’s likely second-favourite, Jonbon.

El Fabiolo will look to provide Mullins and his stable jockey Paul Townend with a third successive Champion Chase victory following the back-to-back triumphs of Energumene.

Townend said: “He’s made the step into open company well this year and goes here off the back of a good win at the Dublin Racing Festival. He’s another exciting one for the week.”

In the opening Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle (1.30) it is Mullins’ Ballyburn, ridden by Townend who looks like seeing off all-comers.

The six-year-old had the option of running in both this race and yesterday’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, but connections held him for today.

Mullins also has the favourite, Fact To File, in the next, the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (2.10), won last year by Leyburn’s The Real Whacker, and could go off odds-on under Mark Walsh, with Paul Nicholls’ Stay Away Fay looking his biggest rival.

Mullins said: “Fact To File has done everything right. His speed figure at the Dublin Racing Festival was fantastic.

“Someone told me at Christmas that in his beginners’ chase he did a huge one, I’m into what I see visually and the way they do it, but the run at Christmas it transpired was right and he doubled down on it.”

Mullins has three in the Coral Cup (2.50), including the likely favourite Sa Majeste, ridden by Walsh and owned by JP McManus.

In the Glenfarclas Chase (4.10), Minella Indo can enjoy a triumphant return to the scene of his finest hour for trainer Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore.

The 2021 Gold Cup winner, Minella Indo has recently turned his hand to the cross-country discipline as he lines up a tilt at the Grand National.

But Cheltenham’s cross-country course will have to pass an 8am inspection this morning if the race is to go ahead after heavier than expected rain.

Clerk of the course Jon Pullin said: “We have called the inspection as it is waterlogged in places at the moment but tomorrow is forecast to be dry and we will do all we can to get the Glenfarclas Chase on."

Mullins can resume his dominance in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper (5.30) with You Oughta Know, winner of two bumpers so far, ridden by his son Patrick, and one of seven in the field for his father.