Willie Mullins has been a dominant force in horse racing in recent years. But just how many horses does he look after?
The Mullins family have been one of the most famous names in horse racing and training for decades, starting with Paddy Mullins’ success in the 1950s. All three of his sons went on to become trainers, with Willie Mullins becoming a dominant force in British and Irish horse racing in recent years.
Willie has trained an impressive number of winning horses, with a stunning 4,000+ first place finishes across his career. He’s also one of the most successful trainers in Cheltenham Festival history, boasting more than one hundred wins.
With such a star-studded career, it can be hard to keep track of just how many horses Mullins has taken under his wing. Our guide will explain all you need to know about Mullins’ most iconic horses, as well as why he’s such an important figure in horse racing.
How many horses did Willie Mullins train for Cheltenham 2025?
Since horse training is a long and complicated process, there’s no concrete number for how many horses at the 2025 edition of the Cheltenham Festival were trained by Willie Mullins, as he will have played a larger role in the training of some competitors than others.
In total, though, estimates suggest around 80 horses at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival were trained by Mullins, making him one of the most prolific trainers at the event.
Iconic horses trained by Willie Mullins
Many of Willie Mullins’ horses have etched their names in the history books, with several of his highest-profile trainees winning legendary races. Here are just a few of Mullins’ best-known horses from across his long and varied career:
Galopin Des Champs
Bred in France and trained in Ireland, Galopin Des Champs has earned almost £2 million for his jockeys and trainers across his racing career. Impressively, he was a back-to-back Cheltenham Gold Cup winner in 2023 and 2024, and won three successive Irish Gold Cups from 2023 to 2025.
Al Boum Photo
Another back-to-back Cheltenham Gold Cup winner (2019 and 2020), Al Boum Photo has also found great success at the famous festival in recent years. His other accolades include winning the Savills New Year’s Day Chase for four consecutive years (2019 to 2022).
I am Maximus
I Am Maximus is most famous for his 2024 Grand National win with Paul Townend as his jockey. He has won an estimated £810,000 across 18 career wins, having also found success at the Cheltenham Festival’s Novices’ Chase in 2023.
Hurricane Fly
Known as a fierce competitor in hurdle jump racing, Hurricane Fly earned an estimated £1.8 million across 42 career races, including 26 wins. Notably, he won the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2011 and 2013, and reigned as the Irish Champion Hurdle winner for five years (2011 to 2015).
Faugheen
Faugheen’s career of 26 races yielded many impressive wins, with earnings of over £1 million in total. His greatest feat, however, was remaining undefeated in National Hunt racing from 2013 to 2015, racking up ten consecutive wins to start his career. He won the Champion Stayers Hurdle, Christmas Hurdle, and Punchestown Champions Hurdle.
State Man
With 14 wins to his name, State Man has competed in some of the best-known hurdle races in the British and Irish racing calendars. He is a three-time winner of both the Irish Champion Hurdle and Punchestown Champion Hurdle, winning both from 2023 to 2025.
Quevega
In the late 2000s and early 2010s, Quevega dominated the competition at the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle. She is the most successful horse in the history of the race, winning six consecutive competitions from 2009 to 2014.
Vautour
Starting his career in France, Vautour was a three-time Cheltenham Festival winner, with victories including the 2014 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the 2015 Novices’ Chase, and the 2016 Ryanair Chase. He tragically died following an accident in 2016, with ten career wins.
Douvan
Winning 14 of his 19 career races, Douvan found great success as a novice in both hurdle and steeplechase competitions. He won the 2015 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, as well as the 2016 Ryanair Novice Chase at Punchestown.
Annie Power
A hurdle specialist, Annie Power won 15 of her 17 races from 2012 to 2017. Rising to prominence with consecutive Mares Champion Hurdle wins (2014 and 2016), she found Cheltenham success with a victory in the 2017 Champion Hurdle. Incidentally, she also won the Aintree Hurdle that same year.
Allaho
By the time of his retirement in 2024, Allaho was estimated to have won almost £1 million in prize money from his 20 career races, including ten wins. He’s perhaps best known for his performances at Cheltenham, though, famously winning the Ryanair Chase in 2021 and 2022.
Energumene
Energumene has won 13 races across his career, with estimated earnings of more than £1 million. Highlights include winning the 2022 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham, and the William Hill Champion Chase at Punchestown in 2025.
Hedgehunter
Hedgehunter is best known for his victory in the 2005 Grand National at Aintree, where he became the first of Mullins’ horses to secure a first-place finish in the race. He also finished second in the 2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup, with estimated career earnings of £750,000.
Nick Rockett
One of Willie Mullins’ most recent success stories is Nick Rockett, who made headlines this year by winning the 2025 Grand National. He became the third of Willie Mullins’ horses to win the prestigious race, and made him a back-to-back champion trainer.
How many Cheltenham wins does Willie Mullins have?
Since his first entry at the festival in the 1990s, Willie Mullins has amassed 113 total Cheltenham Festival wins, making him one the most successful trainers in the history of the competition. His horses have won a range of the festival’s top competitions, from the Champion Hurdle to the Gold Cup.
How many Grand National wins does Willie Mullins have?
Three of Willie Mullins’ horses have won the Aintree Grand National. The first was Hedgehunter, who won the race in 2005 with Ruby Walsh as his jockey. Mullins would have to wait nearly 20 years before his next Grand National wins, though, with I Am Maximus winning in 2024. Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait nearly as long for the next, with Nick Rockett winning just a year later in 2025.
With a legacy spanning several decades, Willie Mullins is always a trainer to look out for when his horses are competing in major events. You can learn more about where to watch his trained horses in action with our Willie Mullins Cheltenham guide.
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