Mullins can easily have more than ten winners at this year's festival as his supremacy grows further

There was an piece on the Racing Post website on Thursday, headlined: Can Willie Mullins break his record of ten Cheltenham Festival winners? And, reading it, it became very difficult to think anything other than quite possibly.

Between Facile Vega, Il Etait Temps, Impaire Et Passe, Gaelic Warrior, Champ Kiely and Embassy Gardens plus Lossiemouth, Gala Marceau, Blood Destiny and Tekao you would think he will win at least two of the juvenile/novice hurdles, and with El Fabiolo, Dysart Dynamo, Appreciate It, Sir Gerhard and Gaillard Du Mesnil, a clean sweep of the novice chases is not impossible.

The Weatherbys Champion Bumper, otherwise known as the Willie Mullins benefit race, does not look as much of a banker as it has in recent years, but that might not stop him winning it. In any other year, State Man would likely be a warm order for the Champion Hurdle – it still would not be the biggest shock if he won – and even without Allaho, the likes of Energumene, Blue Lord, Galopin Des Champs and Stattler give real strength in the open chases.