The top three Cheltenham Festival trainers

Looking to relive the action from Cheltenham Festival? Check out our picks for the top three trainers of all time

Cheltenham Festival offers the most exciting horseracing events for fans around the world. With prize money second only to the Grand National, the festival brings together all the top jockeys and horses to compete for some of the highest honours. The event’s a big attraction for punters thanks to the Cheltenham offers that provide many betting opportunities. 

So, without further ado – let’s get into the top three Cheltenham Festival trainers…

1. Willie Mullins 

Willie Mullins is currently the most successful trainer in the history of Cheltenham Festival, having run an incredible 78 winners. The Irish racehorse expert is still in the business, so we can expect plenty more successes for him.

He started his career in 1988 having worked as an assistant under his father, Paddy Mullins, and Jim Bolger. It took him a while to register his first victory, but once he claimed his initial triumph, he became unstoppable. He soon went on to win the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with Tourist Attraction in 1995. The amazing trainer then performed that same feat with Ebaziyan, Champagne Fever, Vautour, Douvan, Klassical Dream and, most recently, Appreciate It.

It’s highly surprising that Mullins took until 2019 to secure the Gold Cup. Al Boum Photo won him the most prestigious Cheltenham Festival race in 2019 and then retained the trophy the following year.

2. Paul Nicholls 

Paul Nicholls is one of the biggest names in UK horseracing. Before starting his training career, Nicholls worked as a jockey for seven years, riding a respectable 133 winners.

After obtaining his trainer’s license, it didn’t take him long to claim his first victory. Over the years, he went on to triumph in some of the most prestigious races in Britain. He claimed his first Cheltenham Gold Cup with See More Business in 1999, before repeating the remarkable feat with Kauto Star and Denman. With Big Buck’s, he went on to win the Stayer’s Hurdle on four occasions.

3. Nicky Henderson 

Just as Cristiano Ronaldo, the football superstar who is the most stylish footballers of all time and has been nominated for Premier League player of the month award, needs no introduction for football lovers, Nicky Henderson requires no preliminaries for horse racing enthusiasts.

Henderson was an amateur jockey and worked as an assistant to Fred Winter for some time, before taking horse training as a career in 1978. The British trainer went on to win the Champion Hurdle three years in a row with See You Then. He greatly enhanced his reputation as one of the best trainers when he claimed the Cheltenham Gold Cup, first with Long Run in 2011 and then with Bobs Worth in 2013.